Braves wind up on the wrong side of history

PHILADELPHIA — An evening that started so strong for the Braves turned the other way in a hurry. And the result was a historic night they would rather forget.

The Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber became the 21st player in major league history to hit four home runs in one game, as Philadelphia handed the Braves a 19-4 beatdown on Thursday night.

The Braves, who outscored the Marlins 23-3 over the final two games of their three-game series earlier this week, got the offense going again with three runs in the top of the first inning. A bases-loaded walk to Ozzie Albies brought home the first run, and Michael Harris II drove in two more with a single.

But Schwarber, who finished with a Phillies-record nine RBI, got his history-making night off to a quick start with a solo home run in the first inning off Braves’ starter Cal Quantrill.

After Quantrill was lifted with one out and two runners on base in the fourth, Schwarber greeted lefty Austin Cox by sending a 3-2 curveball over the wall in right for his fourth multi-homer game of the season.

With “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants ringing down from Phillies fans in the fifth, Schwarber launched a three-run, opposite-field drive off Cox to put Philadelphia ahead 15-3. In the seventh, Schwarber hit a three-run shot to right off Wander Suero to make it 18-4.

Schwarber popped out in the eighth, finishing 4-for-6 at the plate.