Alec Bohm's 10th-inning home run lifts Phillies past Braves 4-3 to force Game 3
Alec Bohm hit a decisive solo home run in the 10th inning as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-3 on Wednesday, tying their National League Wild Card Series.
Late-inning power turns the series
The Philadelphia Phillies leveled their National League Wild Card Series against the Atlanta Braves at 1-1 on Wednesday with a 4-3 extra-inning victory at Truist Park. Third baseman Alec Bohm broke a 3-3 tie with two outs in the top of the 10th inning, sending a 357-foot solo home run over the right-field fence off Atlanta reliever Didier Fuentes. The contest was played under traditional postseason extra-inning rules without designated runners placed at second base.
I don't really know what happened. I was trying to pull the ball to the foul pole and I hit it to right field so I'll take it.
Schwarber and Harper erase Atlanta lead
Atlanta had taken control earlier through starting pitcher Tyler Mahle, who surrendered one run on six hits and one walk while striking out six across seven innings. The Braves built a 3-1 advantage in the seventh inning when Drake Baldwin hit an RBI double that glanced off Bryce Harper's glove in right field to score Sean Murphy, followed by a Matt Olson sacrifice fly. Philadelphia, having homered in only one of its previous seven postseason contests, responded in the top of the eighth against reliever Dylan Lee with consecutive solo home runs from Kyle Schwarber and Harper.
That ball in right field I probably should have caught obviously so got to come through for my team right there.
- Hits allowed
- 6
- Strikeouts
- 6
- Runs allowed
- 1
- Walks allowed
- 1
Painter navigates postseason debut in relief
Rookie right-hander Andrew Painter earned the victory by pitching three scoreless innings in his postseason debut. Painter, a regular-season starter who was demoted to the minor leagues in mid-June before returning to Philadelphia, entered the game in the eighth inning. After issuing a four-pitch walk to the first batter he faced, pitching coach Caleb Cotham visited the mound, and Painter settled down to retire the next six hitters on 16 pitches.
With closer Jhoan Duran resting after throwing 27 pitches in Game 1, Painter returned to the mound for the bottom of the tenth inning. He struck out Olson, allowed a single to Mauricio Dubon, struck out Austin Riley, and yielded another single to Michael Harris. Painter then struck out Atlanta pinch-hitter Dominic Smith on an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge with two runners aboard to secure the final out.
- Baldwin RBI double and Olson sacrifice fly give Atlanta a 3-1 lead
- Schwarber and Harper hit back-to-back solo home runs off Lee to tie the game 3-3
- Bohm hits a two-out 357-foot solo home run off Fuentes to put Philadelphia ahead 4-3
- Painter strands two runners and strikes out Smith on an ABS challenge to seal the win
Decisive Game 3 and playoff bracket
The victory forces a deciding Game 3 on Thursday in Atlanta, with Philadelphia attempting to become just the second team in league history to advance after dropping Game 1 of a best-of-three Wild Card Series. The winner of Thursday's contest will travel to face the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series starting on Saturday.
Philadelphia has won all three previous postseason meetings against Atlanta, prevailing in the 1993 National League Championship Series as well as the 2022 and 2023 National League Division Series. Elsewhere in the postseason bracket, three other teams held 1-0 series leads entering Wednesday: the New York Yankees faced Boston for the right to play Tampa Bay, the Chicago White Sox played Houston to determine Cleveland's opponent, and the San Diego Padres hosted the Chicago Cubs to decide who meets Milwaukee.
