By MIKE ROBERTS
The Atlanta Braves were looking for a 2-0 sweep in their National League Wild Card series, but instead they face one game with their season on the line, after they lost 4-3 to the Philadelphia Phillies in a 10-inning Game 2 on Wednesday afternoon.
The Braves had a dramatic comeback victory in Tuesday’s Game 1 thanks to a heroic three-run homer from Austin Riley. But they failed to get the job done on Wednesday against their NL East rivals. Here’s a recap of Game 2, which was just as exciting as Tuesday’s contest.
Phillies Quick to Score Again
The Phillies scored a run during the top of the first inning in Game 1 and they did the same on Wednesday. Trea Turner opened the contest with a double, moved to third base on Kyle Schwarber’s groundout, then scored on a single by Bryce Harper to give the Phillies the early lead.
The Braves said, “Hey, We Can Do That, Too”
Philadelphia wasn’t the only team that scored in the first inning. The Braves did their part in the bottom of the first. Ronald Acuña Jr. walked and later stole third base. Then Ozzie Albies singled to right, which drove in Acuña and tied the game at 1-all.
Braves Lead By Two
The score stayed tied at 1 all the way until the bottom of the seventh inning. That was when Drake Baldwin doubled and drove in Sean Murphy. Later in the inning, Matt Olson lofted a sacrifice fly to score Ha-Seong Kim and give Atlanta a 3-1 lead.
1-2 Punch
The Phillies decided they weren’t ready for their season to end just yet. During the top of the eighth, Schwarber blasted a 447-foot home run. Then Harper made it back-to-back jacks as he sent a 418-footer into the stands to tie the game. While the middle of the Phillies’ lineup was quiet on Tuesday, it certainly came to life in this game.
Bohm Comes Through
The Phillies’ home run hitting didn’t stop with the back-to-back from Schwarber and Harper. Alec Bohm smacked an opposite-field homer in the top of the 10th that went on to win it for Philadelphia. Bohm’s shot was his third career postseason home run and the fourth playoff homer ever hit by a Phillies player in the 10th inning or later.
Mound showdown
Two-time All-Star pitcher Cristopher Sanchez started for the Phillies while Tyler Mahle was on the mound for Atlanta. In 6 2/3 innings, Sanchez allowed three runs and threw a career-high 116 pitches. Mahle, who the Braves picked up at this year’s MLB Trade Deadline, allowed one run and six hits in seven innings. Sanchez didn’t get the win, though. The win went to Andrew Painter, who closed out the game with three scoreless innings.
It’s Time for a Huge Acuna Performance
Acuna is hitless so far in this series. It would be nice to see the former MVP step up and have a prime Ronald Acuna Jr. performance in Game 3 and power the Braves to a victory.
Up Next
A Game 3 between these ball clubs will be Thursday at 2 PM at Truist Park in Atlanta. Whoever wins will advance to the National League Division Series and face the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the series beginning Saturday in L.A. Aaron Nola is expected to start for the Phillies, while the Braves are expected to throw a bullpen game.
Will the No. 3-seeded Braves win Game 3, or will the No. 6 Phillies pull off the upset? We shall see. This has been a fun series to watch so far, that’s for sure.