Kyle Schwarber took Yu Darvish deep twice in high-stakes games, once in the MLB postseason and again in the World Baseball Classic. Both homers came off hanging breaking balls, and both had fans in the stands risking life and limb trying to catch the souvenirs. The first bomb landed in the upper deck, sending one dad jumping with his daughter in his arms. Her feet went way over the railing for a moment, which looked way too risky for a foul ball catch attempt. The second homer was another long at-bat, with Schwarber fouling off pitch after pitch. Darvish tried to mix things up with sliders and fastballs, but Schwarber stayed locked in. On the splitter, Schwarber crushed the ball into the crowd again. This time, a fan went full leap with both knees on the railing and slammed his chest coming down. He kept his balance, but his buddy lost his phone, which tumbled off into the crowd.
The video also showed how some fans go wild diving for homers, while others dressed up in full gear just quietly nail a synchronized high five. There was a bit of contrast between the chaos in the stands and the calm of the dugout. Bryce Harper and the Phillies were left shocked after that first Schwarber homer, mouths wide open in disbelief. In both games, Schwarber clearly saw Darvish well, and fans in the front row might want to think twice before leaning too far over the rail when he’s at the plate.