WATCH: Phillies Catcher Crushes HR to Begin Final Home Series of Season

The Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto hits a big home run to get the scoring started in the series opener against the Chicago Cubs.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are inching closer to something they have not accomplished since 2011. 

After losing a series to the New York Mets over the weekend, the team is looking for a quick bounceback. They got a great start to that hopeful surge on Monday night. 

The Phillies entered the series opener against the Chicago Cubs on the cusp of clinching the NL East Division title in over a decade. The team would do so with a victory at Citizens Bank Park on Monday. Philadelphia wasted no time getting ahead in the game, thanks to the catcher J.T. Realmuto. 

The 33-year-old back stop hit his 14th homer of the season in the bottom of the second inning on Monday when he took Cubs pitcher Kilian 421 feet to centerfield on the first pitch he saw on the evening. The home run had an exit velocity of 109.3 mph. 

JT Realmuto CLOBBERS one to center 💥 pic.twitter.com/H9nvm2iUBn

— MLB (@MLB) September 23, 2024

The home run was a two run shot as Realmuto brought in second baseman Bryston Stott made it to first base on a fielder's choice ground out the plate appearance before. 

According to Statcast, the score had an expected batting average (xBA) of .860 and would have been a homer in 26 of 30 MLB Ballparks. The Del City, Oklahoma native has had a hot bat lately as he is hitting .261/.320/.609 with two homers and four RBI over his last seven games. 

Realmuto is behind the plate tonight in the first game of the series as he is catching for Aaron Nola who is making his 32nd start of the season. 

Entering Monday, the Phillies lead the series lead with the Cubs two games to one. This is the final home series for the Phillies in the regular season. The game is available on NBC Sports Philadelphia and the Marquee Sports Network.