AP

Schwarber goes deep for Phillies in 9-5 win over Athletics

Apr 8, 2022, 3:46 AM | Updated: 4:52 pm

Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber celebrates with teammate  Bryce Harper (3) after hitting a ho...

Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber celebrates with teammate Bryce Harper (3) after hitting a home run in the first inning of a home opening baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, April 8, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)

(AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)


              The Phillie Phanatic parachutes past the Philadelphia skyline and onto the field before the start of  the Philadelphia Phillies home opener baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, April 8, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
            
              Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper (3) is called safe at second base on an RBI double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, April 8, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
            
              The Philadelphia Phillies take the field before a home opener baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, April 8, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
            
              Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws during the first inning of a home-opening baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, April 8, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
            
              The Phillie Phanatic drives past fans outside the ball park before the start of the Philadelphia Phillies home opening baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, April 8, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
            
              Oakland Athletics center fielder Cristian Pache, left, and right fielder Stephen Piscotty (25) chase an RBI single by Philadelphia Phillies' J.T. Realmuto during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 8, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
            
              Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper (3) scores on an RBI double by Rhys Hoskins during the third inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, April 8, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
            
              Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber follows through on a home run during the first inning of a home opening baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, April 8, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
            
              Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber celebrates with teammate  Bryce Harper (3) after hitting a home run in the first inning of a home opening baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, April 8, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rhys Hoksins took an informal poll inside the clubhouse on the popularity of new Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber.

“You guys like the new guy?” Hoskins said. “I like him.”

So did Phillies fans on opening day. And his teammates dig him, too.

Schwarber slammed a homer off the second-deck facade in his first at-bat with the Phillies, flashed a “1” finger toward his teammates and thrust his helmet in the air for a rousing curtain call as a sellout crowd of 44,232 went wild.

His 14th career leadoff homer could be a sign of the slugging to come.

Reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper also knocked in a run and Aaron Nola struck out seven to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 9-5 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday.

“It’s a little early for a first-inning curtain call,” Schwarber said with a laugh. “But it was a real exciting moment.”

Harper lobbied hard for the Phillies to sign Schwarber and they gave the outfielder a $79 million, four-year contract. Harper also gave stump speeches — “four phone calls a day,” according to their shared agent — for the Phillies to sign Nick Castellanos. Castellanos got a $100 million, five-year contract.

That’s $179 million on two sluggers that Harper pushed the front office to sign to improve the team following an 82-80 finish last season.

“I thought the lineup flowed really well, I thought it looked really good,” Harper said.

Schwarber got the offense rolling when he crushed a 427-foot homer to right off A’s starter Frankie Montas (0-1) on just his seventh pitch of the game.

The fun was just getting started in Philly.

Schwarber’s one-out walk in the third inning ignited a four-run burst. Harper heard rousing “MVP! MVP!” chants that followed him from opening day introductions to his last at-bat. He showed why he earned that award last season with a hit to left that he stretched into a double. He was called out on the throw but stayed on second base as the play was reviewed. The crowd howled in delight with each replay on the big screen that showed Harper slid safely under the tag of second baseman Tony Kemp. The play was overturned and Harper scored on Hoskins’ two-RBI single. Didi Gregorius’ single up the middle made it 5-0.

That’s the kind of inning the Phillies had in mind when they beefed up the offense to try to snap a postseason drought that dates to 2011. Schwarber, who added an RBI single in the eighth for a 9-5 lead, won a World Series with the Chicago Cubs and has played in the postseason in six of his seven seasons in the majors.

Nola, the 2018 All-Star who went 9-9 with a 4.63 ERA last season, made his fifth straight opening day start. Chad Pinder hit a solo homer in the fourth. Seth Brown’s three-run shot in the seventh chased Nola (1-0). The A’s made it 6-5 but Brad Hand struck out Jed Lowrie looking with runners on second and third to end the seventh.

“He’d done pretty well in that part of the lineup and it just seemed like he was getting the ball up a little bit and they made him pay,” Phillies manager Joe Girardi said.

Castellanos added an RBI double in the seventh for a 7-5 lead. Castellanos held a beer in one hand as he played table tennis in the clubhouse and Jay-Z blared through the room. He endeared himself to his new fans as he stuck around after the final out and autographed baseballs passed to him through the netting.

Several Phillies wore T-shirts with a quote from Castellanos at his news conference after he signed with the team: “I don’t have a college degree, I hit baseballs.”

No degrees. But straight A’s for the Phillies in Game 1.

“I think it describes a lot of the personalities in this clubhouse, man,” Castellanos said. “We’re a bunch of kids that get to play baseball.”

MONIAK OUT

The Phillies put OF Mickey Moniak on the 10-day IL with a broken right hand. He was injured Wednesday in his last at-bat of spring training and could miss up to six weeks.

OG PHANATIC

The Phillie Phanatic parachuted his way onto the field before the first pitch for the first time since 1993.

The Phillies in the offseason settled a legal dispute with the Phanatic’s creator that allowed baseball’s most beloved native of the Galapagos Islands to return to his natural green, furry, bulbous-belly state.

The Phanatic wasn’t the only part of the Phillies that needed a facelift. The home run Liberty Bell had been on the fritz the last few seasons but was repaired in time for opening day. Phillies executive vice president David Buck said 26,000 LED lights were added to the bell and a new hydraulic system was installed to make the bell sway when the Phillies go deep.

STOTT HONORS

Bryson Stott made his major league debut for the Phillies as the starting third baseman. Stott, the 14th overall pick in the 2019 amateur draft, singled in the sixth for his first hit. His first career double and RBI in the eighth made it 8-5. He dedicated his call-up to — and wears No. 5 in honor of — his childhood best friend, who died six years ago of cancer. Stott called Cooper Ricciardi’s mother on Thursday and said she was in tears over the news.

FAMILIAR DEBUT

It was a loss in his debut for first-year Oakland manager Mark Kotsay. Kotsay was promoted from third base coach to manager and replaced Bob Melvin. Kotsay said his first big league game over a 17-year career was in Philadelphia in 1998.

“The last seven years, (you) grind through coaching to get to this point,” he said. “You know, the reward of it all, the moment will happen quickly. It will be over and then the grind will start.”

UP NEXT

Oakland sends LHP Cole Irvin to the mound against Phillies RHP Kyle Gibson in the second game of an all-afternoon three-game series.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Schwarber goes deep for Phillies in 9-5 win over Athletics