The Atlanta Braves defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game wild card series to advance to the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The decisive victory in game three, played at Truist Park, followed a split in the first two contests that featured late-inning heroics and defensive errors.
In the opening game, the Braves overcame a 3-2 deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning when Austin Riley hit a home run to take a 5-3 lead. Raisel Iglesias recorded the save, giving Atlanta a 1-0 series advantage. The Phillies took control in game two after a defensive misplay by Bryce Harper in the seventh inning allowed a run to score and set up another on a sacrifice fly. Harper later tied the game at 3-3 with a home run in the eighth inning following a homer by Kyle Schwarber. Alec Bohm broke the tie in the 10th inning, and Andrew Painter secured the save for Philadelphia.
Game three presented significant pitching challenges for both teams. The Phillies, forced to use Zack Wheeler on short rest after starting him on Sunday to clinch their playoff spot against the Arizona Diamondbacks, turned to Aaron Nola, who was on more rest but coming off his worst season. Nola struggled in the first inning, issuing back-to-back walks to Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson before Michael Harris II hit a three-run home run to right center field for an early 3-0 lead.
The Braves countered with Ray Kerr, a reliever who had pitched only 18 regular season innings, to start the game. Kerr threw 3.1 innings while allowing one hit, one walk, and no runs. Ozzie Albies added a two-run home run off Wheeler, who pitched in relief, to extend the lead. Matt Olson hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to make it 6-1. Although Trea Turner cut the deficit with a sacrifice fly in the eighth, Braves manager Walt Weiss opted to use starter Chris Sale as the closer rather than Iglesias. Sale held the Phillies scoreless to seal the win.
The result sets up a matchup against the defending champion Dodgers, who received a first-round bye. The Dodgers benefit from a fully rested bullpen and the ability to set their preferred rotation, while injuries to players like Shohei Ohtani have had time to heal during their break. Conversely, the Braves have played three consecutive competitive games. Their pitching staff faces scheduling constraints for the first game of the series: Sale is unavailable due to his recent appearance as a closer, Tyler Mahle pitched on Wednesday, and Grant Holmes threw two innings on Thursday, raising questions about his availability.
The Braves’ offensive lineup remains potent with contributions from Olson, Riley, Albies, Acuna, Harris, and Drake Baldwin. The Dodgers’ rotation features Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. Despite the Dodgers’ strong pitching staff and rest advantage, the Braves enter the series with momentum from their wild card series performance.