WASHINGTON — Forget about the first at-bat. Sometimes, all Kyle Schwarber needs is the first pitch.
In the Nats’ 4-3 win over the Rays on Tuesday night at Nationals Park, Schwarber sent Rich Hill’s 83.4 mph fastball a Statcast-projected 434 feet at 112.1 mph out to right field. It was his 25th home run — tied with the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. for the National League lead — his seventh leadoff homer and his second first-pitch blast of the season.
With 12 home runs in 10 games, Schwarber tied the mark set by the Indians’ Albert Belle in 1995. He also tied the Giants’ Barry Bonds (2001) and the Cubs’ Sammy Sosa (1998) with 16 dingers in an 18-game stretch.
The homer also extended the Nationals’ record Schwarber already held for most home runs in any month.
Two at-bats later in the first, Juan Soto rocked his ninth home run of the season 378 feet to right field. In the second, Victor Robles connected on his first homer of the year — a first-pitch shot that traveled 399 feet to left-center. Robles had not gone yard since Sept. 20, 2020.
