Phillies take 3-1 NLCS lead over Padres

PHILADELPHIA — Rhys Hoskins homered twice, Kyle Schwarber hit a solo shot into shrubbery and Bryce Harper doubled to put the Phillies ahead for good in a wild 10-6 win over the Padres on Saturday night for a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.

Harper stood on second base after his hit and emphatically stated the ballpark was his house.

With one more win, it will be a home for the World Series.

“I believe our team is built for October, I really do,” Harper said.

J.T. Realmuto also homered for the big-hitting Phillies, who are trying to become the first third-place team to reach the Fall Classic.

The Phillies send ace Zack Wheeler to the mound in Game 5 Sunday at Citizens Bank Park to try and clinch their first National League pennant since 2009. They haven’t won the World Series since 2008.

No matter the outcome, Game 4 was one to remember in Philly.

The Phillies trailed 4-0 in the first and then chipped away, slugged away and finally put away the Padres. The clincher came in a four-run fifth inning against reliever Sean Manaea. Trailing 6-4, Schwarber walked to start the rally. Hoskins then ripped his second homer of the game — no bat spike, but just as dramatic — for the tying shot. Realmuto walked to set the stage for Harper.

The 2021 NL MVP lined the goahead double that rolled to the leftcenter wall for a 7-6 lead as the Philly crowd absolutely exploded. Harper ran his hands across the script “Phillies” on his chest and exclaimed, “This is my [expletive] house!”

The Phillies fans refused to sit — and they had no reason to the rest of the game. Nick Castellanos singled in Harper to complete the scoring in the fifth.

Schwarber smashed the ball into the shrubs in dead center in the sixth for his third homer of this series and Realmuto punctuated the scoring with a solo shot in the seventh.