McCullers pulled after allowing postseason-record 5 HRs in Game 3

Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. is now in the World Series record books for all the wrong reasons.

McCullers became the first pitcher ever to allow five home runs in a single playoff game during Tuesday's Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins hit the record blast to knock the right-hander out of the game. The Phillies went on to win 7-0, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.

Bryce Harper got the party started with a two-run shot in the first inning. Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, and Kyle Schwarber also took McCullers deep before Hoskins' blast ended his night.

McCullers weaved in and out of trouble throughout his appearance and left having surrendered seven runs on six hits. He's the fourth pitcher in World Series history to allow at least four homers in one game and the first to do it since the Cardinals' Dick Hughes in 1967, per Stathead. The previous World Series record of four was shared by Hughes, the Cubs' Charlie Root in 1932, and the Reds' Gene Thompson in 1939.

Speculation that McCullers may have been tipping his pitches was prompted after Bohm's homer, which he hit immediately after a brief conversation with Harper. However, the Astros didn't see anything concerning.

"This has nothing to do with tipping," McCullers said, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "Clearly, they had a good game plan against me, and they executed better than I did.

"I'm not gonna sit here and say anything like that," he added, per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. "I got whupped. End of story."

The Phillies' five homers also tied a World Series record, becoming the fourth team since 1903 to accomplish the feat. They also became the second club ever to hit five homers in the first five innings of a playoff game, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the 2020 NLCS, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.