Alec Bohm hit a crucial two-out home run in the 10th inning, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves. This win on Wednesday forces a decisive Game 3 in their National League wild-card series.
The Phillies made a comeback with solo home runs by Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in the seventh inning, tying the game after trailing 3-1. Harper’s homer redeemed him for an earlier fielding mistake. Andrew Painter, typically a starter, was key in relief, pitching three scoreless innings and ending the game with a strikeout of Dominic Smith. Painter’s effort was supported by a successful ABS challenge on a controversial call.
Playing under traditional extra-inning rules, Bohm’s home run was his third in postseason play, a significant 357-foot hit against Braves pitcher Didier Fuentes. The Phillies aim to continue their successful playoff history against the Braves in the upcoming Game 3, building on past wins in both the 1993 NLCS and 2022 and 2023 NLDS.
In the seventh inning, Drake Baldwin’s double, which Harper struggled to catch, allowed the Braves to take a 2-1 lead. Despite Harper’s efforts, the ball slipped off his glove. Harper has only recently resumed playing in the outfield. Matt Olson added to Atlanta’s score with a sacrifice fly.
The Phillies caught up with home runs from Schwarber and Harper in the eighth, hitting respective distances of 447 feet and 418 feet. Braves pitcher Tyler Mahle held his ground for seven innings, allowing one run on six hits. Cristopher Sánchez of the Phillies countered with three runs allowed over 6 2/3 innings, throwing a personal best of 116 pitches.
In the 10th inning, Painter yielded a single to Mauricio Dubón and a follow-up single to Michael Harris II. However, Painter and catcher J.T. Realmuto challenged the umpire’s call on a pitch to Smith, with ABS confirming it grazed the strike zone, marking the first postseason game to close on such an appeal.
Harper, having been moved from first base to outfield, misjudged Baldwin’s seventh-inning fly ball, contributing to an Atlanta run. Earlier, Ronald Acuña Jr. walked, skillfully stealing two bases before scoring on Olson’s single. Sánchez then limited Atlanta to a single hit until the fifth inning. Meanwhile, Mahle hit stride in the fifth, striking out both Schwarber and Harper.
Cristopher Sánchez ended a challenge-filled inning with an intentional walk to Acuña and a Baldwin grounder. Unfortunately, Edmundo Sosa departed due to an apparent leg injury in the ninth, replaced by Derek Hill as a pinch-runner.
Next Up: Braves RHP Grant Holmes, with a record of 10-6 and 3.44 ERA, is set to either start or provide substantial relief in Game 3 against Phillies RHP Aaron Nola, who has a 7-12 record and 4.67 ERA.
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