Schwarber goes yard Petco Again, Luzardo tosses six scoreless, Phillies win first game of the road trip 3-0

The Philadelphia Phillies and Kyle Schwarber on Memorial Day at Petco Park. The man and the venue have a relationship at this point. Schwarber crushed a first-inning homer off Griffin Canning on the eighth pitch of the at-bat and the Phillies held on for a 3-0 win over the Padres to open the six-game West Coast trip.

After a miserable 2-4 homestand where the offense hit .172 as a team, the Phillies needed a clean win against quality competition. They got one because Schwarber provided the early power, Luzardo grinded through six scoreless innings despite constant traffic on the bases, and Marsh added a two-run insurance homer in the seventh.

Schwarber Owns Petco Park

Schwarber has played in regular season series at Petco Park. He has homered in every single one of them. Ten home runs in 24 games and 105 plate appearances at Petco during the regular season.

Kyle Schwarber RING IT

Would you like to see a Schwarbomb? pic.twitter.com/LjueENOiJL

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 25, 2026

Add the 488-foot bomb off Yu Darvish during the 2022 NLCS and it’s 11 homers in 113 plate appearances. Nearly 12 percent of his at-bats at Petco have resulted in a home run. That’s absurd for any ballpark, let alone one that’s historically been pitcher-friendly.

His 21st homer of the season came on the eighth pitch of a tough at-bat against Canning in the first inning. Twenty-one bombs in 192 at-bats in 2026. The man continues to look like one of Dave Dombrowski’s best investments in Philadelphia.

Mattingly said after the game that some of Schwarber’s swings don’t need perfect conditions. He’s right. Schwarber can muscle a ball out of any park in baseball on sheer power alone and Petco has become his personal playground.

Luzardo Grinded Through Traffic and Kept the Zeros Coming

Luzardo’s line looks clean. Six scoreless innings, four hits, two walks. But if you watched the game, it was a battle from the first inning. The Padres loaded the bases in the first frame and Luzardo had to pitch out of it after a mound visit from Caleb Cotham. He allowed the leadoff man to reach in each of the first two innings. The traffic on the bases was constant.

Earlier in the season, those innings spiraled. Luzardo’s ERA with runners on base was over 14 through his first eight starts. He was getting eaten alive every time a baserunner reached. Monday was the opposite. He held San Diego to 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. In his last three starts where he’s faced nine or more batters with men on base, he’s held opponents to a .087/.233/.087 slash line with a 1.93 ERA.

He’s posted a 1.00 ERA over his last three starts, reaching at least six innings and allowing five hits or fewer in each. The Luzardo from the first six weeks of the season and the Luzardo pitching right now are two completely different pitchers. Whatever adjustments he’s made with runners on base have been the difference between a liability and a guy who can grind through messy innings and keep the team in the game.

Marsh’s Homer Was the Dagger

Brandon Marsh is hitting .320, which gives him nearly a 50-point lead over Harper for second on the Phillies in batting average. The man has been one of the steadiest bats in the lineup all season.

His two-run homer in the seventh came on a slider from Canning after Marsh had been fooled by the same pitch his previous at-bat. He said afterward that he had the slider in the back of his mind even though he was sitting fastball in a 2-0 count.

Canning threw a low-and-in hanger and Marsh turned on it and drove it into the right-field seats. What makes it impressive is that Marsh entered the game hitting .091 on pitches in that specific quadrant. He recognized the pitch, adjusted from his earlier at-bat, and punished a mistake.

Stay Hot Brandon Marsh

Hearing reports of a Dawg on the loose in Petco Park pic.twitter.com/0Orb61VwYy

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 26, 2026

The homer came right after Bohm hit into a double play with two on and nobody out, which could have killed the inning and the Phillies’ momentum entirely. Instead Marsh cleaned up the mess with one swing.

Phillies West Coast Trip Starts Right

One game down, five to go. Three more against the Padres and then three against the Dodgers. This was the cleanest win the Phillies have had in over a week. The pitching was dominant. The power showed up from Schwarber and Marsh. Luzardo battled through a messy start and delivered six scoreless. The bullpen shut the door.

The Phillies needed this one. After the 2-4 homestand and the offensive disappearing act against the Reds and Guardians, winning the opener in San Diego with pitching and power is exactly the formula that has carried this team under Mattingly. Keep it rolling. The Padres and Dodgers aren’t going to hand you anything. Every win on this trip has to be earned.

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