Phillies Rally Past Braves 4-3 in 10 Innings to Force Decisive NL Wild Card Game 3

Philadelphia Wins On Alec Bohm’s 10th Inning Home Run

The Philadelphia Phillies kept their postseason alive Wednesday night, rallying from a two-run deficit before Alec Bohm delivered a go-ahead home run in the 10th inning for a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series.

The win evened the best-of-three series at 1-1 and set up a decisive Game 3 on Thursday in Philadelphia. The Phillies trailed 3-1 in the seventh inning before Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth to tie the game.

Bohm then provided the decisive blow in the 10th, sending a 357-foot drive to right field off Braves right-hander Didier Fuentes. It was Bohm’s third career postseason home run and gave Philadelphia its first lead of the night.

The Phillies will now have an opportunity to continue their recent postseason success against Atlanta. Philadelphia eliminated the Braves in the 1993 NLCS and again in the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.

Harper Answers Costly Fielding Misplay With Game Tying Home Run

Harper experienced one of the game’s biggest turning points in the seventh inning. Drake Baldwin’s double glanced off Harper’s glove in right field and allowed Sean Murphy to score, putting Atlanta ahead 2-1.

Harper, who returned to playing right field late this season after not playing the position since 2022, got a late jump on the ball and was unable to make the catch near the warning track. He was not charged with an error. Matt Olson followed with a sacrifice fly to extend Atlanta’s lead to 3-1 and put the Phillies in a difficult position.

Harper responded one inning later. Schwarber launched a 447-foot home run off Dylan Lee to cut Atlanta’s lead to 3-2. Harper followed with a towering 418-foot homer, tying the game and immediately erasing the impact of his earlier misplay. The back-to-back homers changed the momentum and gave the Phillies new life.

Bohm Delivers in the 10th

After neither team could score in the ninth, the game moved into extra innings under postseason rules, which do not use the automatic runner at second base that is employed during the regular season. Bohm came through with two outs in the top of the 10th.

Facing Fuentes, Bohm drove a 357-foot shot to right field that cleared the wall and put Philadelphia ahead 4-3. The home run was especially significant for Bohm after a difficult regular season. He hit .249 and has faced criticism throughout the year while approaching free agency. With the Phillies needing one more inning to secure the victory, Andrew Painter was asked to finish the job.

Painter Saves Phillies’ Bullpen

Painter, who worked primarily as a starter during the regular season, delivered three scoreless innings to close out the game and protect Philadelphia’s beleaguered bullpen. The right-hander ran into trouble in the 10th when Mauricio Dubón singled with one out. Painter struck out Austin Riley before Michael Harris II blooped a single to put runners on first and second.

Dominic Smith came to the plate with the Braves down to their final out. Painter threw an 0-2 fastball that plate umpire Adam Beck initially called a ball. Painter and catcher J.T. Realmuto immediately challenged the call using the automated ball-strike system.

The ABS review confirmed the pitch clipped the strike zone, giving Painter the strikeout and ending the game. It marked the first time a postseason game had ended following a strike-zone appeal.

Braves Strike First Behind Acuña

Atlanta grabbed an early lead in the first inning after Ronald Acuña Jr. drew a walk, stole second and then stole third when Edmundo Sosa failed to cover the bag. Acuña scored when Olson singled, giving the Braves a 1-0 advantage.

Philadelphia starter Cristopher Sánchez settled down after the early damage. He did not allow another hit until Murphy doubled to center field with one out in the fifth. Sánchez ultimately allowed three runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings while throwing a career-high 116 pitches.

Atlanta starter Tyler Mahle matched Sánchez for much of the night. Mahle allowed one run on six hits over seven innings and did not record a perfect inning until the fifth, when he struck out Schwarber and Harper. Sánchez intentionally walked Acuña with two outs in the fifth before Baldwin grounded out to second to end the threat.

Game 3 Awaits Thursday

The series now comes down to one game. The Braves are expected to turn to right-hander Grant Holmes, who went 10-6 with a 3.44 ERA during the regular season, either as the starter or in a bulk-relief role.

Philadelphia is scheduled to counter with right-hander Aaron Nola, who finished the regular season 7-12 with a 4.67 ERA. With their season on the line, the Phillies will look to complete the comeback and advance while the Braves will try to end Philadelphia’s latest postseason run. Game 3 will determine which team moves on and which team’s season comes to an end.