By MIKE ROBERTS
After failing to handle business on Wednesday, the Atlanta Braves defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 in Thursday night’s Game 3 of the best-of-three National League Wild Card Series. It was a “win or go home” contest, so the Phillies’ season is over while the Braves live to fight another day, just like John Witherspoon said in the movie, ‘Friday.’
The Phillies battled all series long, but they lost to a better Braves squad. The Braves advance to the National League Division Series to face the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Let’s look at a recap of Game 3.
An ideal start
The Phillies scored a run during the top of the first inning in each of the first two games of the series, but the Braves held them off the scoreboard Thursday night and off the bases aside from Kyle Schwarber‘s opposite-field single.
Meanwhile, after back-to-back walks to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson, Michael Harris II came up and socked a three-run homer to bring the Truist Park fans to their feet.
Albies drills two-run homer
The score remained 3-0 until the bottom of the fourth. That was when Austin Riley walked and later scored on a huge 419-foot two-run homer from All-Star Ozzie Albies, which catapulted the Braves to a 5-0 advantage. It was the fourth postseason home run of Albies’ career.
Olson joins HR party
It was only fitting that Olson, who led Atlanta with 41 home runs during the regular season, hit one in a clinching playoff game as well. In the bottom of the seventh inning, he hit a 416-foot dinger off Jonathan Bowlan.
Braves’ pitching strategy worked
The Phillies opted to throw one of their best starters, Aaron Nola. He only lasted 38 pitches before interim manager Don Mattingly pulled him with two outs during the second inning with the Phillies trailing 3-0. The 2018 All-Star allowed three runs on two hits with a strikeout and two walks in the shortest postseason start of his career.
Meanwhile, the Braves opted for a bullpen game and started Ray Kerr, a relief pitcher who had made just nine big-laeague appearances in the regular season after missing al of 2025 due to an injury. Kerr was phenomenal with 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while recording two strikeouts. He received a loud ovation during the fourth inning when Grant Holmes replaced him.
Chris Sale … relief pitcher?
Ace Chris Sale, who was the starting pitcher in the Braves’ 5-3 victory in Tuesday’s series opener, entered the game in the eighth. The 10-time All-Star struck out Bryce Harper to end the eighth inning and tallied two more strikeouts while working the ninth inning and closing out the game.
Up next
The Braves head to Los Angeles to face the mighty Dodgers. Game 1 will be Saturday at 4 p.m. at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, with FOX broadcasting. Game 2 (also in L.A.) will start at 8 p.m. on Sunday. FS1 will have the broadcast.
Games 3 and Game 4 (if necessary) will be played in Atlanta. If there’s a Game 5, it will be back at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 9.