For Kyle Schwarber, history repeated itself. Just eight years ago, Bryce Harper surged past him with a dramatic late rally to win the Home Run Derby. This time at Citizens Bank Park, it was Jordan Walker who handed the pitcher another heartbreaking defeat. While that might have been enough to bum him out, Schwarber had an interesting take for the crowd present at his team’s home stadium.

“They erupted. That’s what you live for, right?” Schwarber added after the Derby. “You want your hometown to be behind you, and they were every second of it. From when we got introduced to the first pitch all the way to the end. So I tip my cap to the Philadelphia faithful. They showed out tonight, and I’m excited to see what they have tomorrow.”

The crowd’s excitement was already building before the Derby even began. A makeshift boxing ring was built around second base, giving the event a dramatic opening. Legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer introduced each Home Run Derby participant.

The 33-year-old Bryce Harper added to the pre-game show by jumping on the ropes to fire up the home crowd. The fans responded with loud cheers.

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Once the swings began, though, the former Chicago Cubs hitter struggled to find his rhythm early in the opening round. His first 5 swings produced no home runs. It looked like his night might end much earlier than expected.

Yet Schwarber refused to give up. His next four swings all cleared the fence, completely changing the momentum. He even had the support of 43,863 fans behind him as the crowd roared every time the Phillies player was at the plate. On the other hand, for a non-Phillies player, the crowd had only boos to offer.

The 33-year-old then crushed 10 home runs over his final 15 swings. Harper stepped in next. If the Las Vegas native reached 11 home runs, he would eliminate his Phillies teammate, while the longest home run would decide a tie.

The focus later returned to Schwarber in the final. Once again, he caught fire late in the round. Schwarber ultimately finished with 11 home runs, his best total of the entire night.

For a moment, it looked like that score would be enough to secure the title for the night.

St. Louis Cardinals breakout star Jordan Walker started strong before slowing down. With only 3 swings remaining, he had 6 home runs, then narrowly missed another after hitting the ball off the base of the wall. Entering his final swing, he had 8 home runs.

The magenta ball changed everything. Walker needed only 4 straight home runs to extend the round, and he delivered exactly that. Walker also shared his thoughts after the Derby.

Jordan Walker shared his thoughts after winning the HR Derby

Not even the passionate crowd of the Philadelphia Phillies could throw St. Louis Cardinals breakout star Jordan Walker off his game. He stayed calm when the pressure was at its highest at Citizens Bank Park.

“I can’t even describe what it means to win it,” Walker said. “It was a lot of swings, a lot of pressure, but I think I just had fun no matter what. Like every round, I said, ‘Have a good time.’ As a kid, I grew up, ​my favorite thing to do in baseball was hitting home runs. And the competition is dedicated to doing it,” he explained.

Walker’s comeback stunned the entire crowd and spoiled what looked like Schwarber’s dream finish. The Phillies fans had backed Schwarber throughout the entire contest. He battled hard and came incredibly close to lifting the trophy. His late surge gave the crowd every reason to believe he would win.

Instead, Walker produced an unforgettable finish on the final swing.

Now the attention shifts to next year.