Atlanta Braves Pushed to Brink of Elimination After Three Phillies Homers

The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies played another thriller on Wednesday afternoon. After a Game 1 that saw the Braves steal a victory on a late clutch home run by Austin Riley, there were similar dramatics in Game 2.

Leading 3–1 in the eighth inning, Atlanta turned the ball over to left-handed relief pitcher Dylan Lee following seven strong innings from Tyler Mahle. Sent to face two left-handers in Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, Lee had the platoon advantage, but it did not go as planned.

The two sluggers went back-to-back, tying the game at three, where it would stay entering extra innings. In the postseason, MLB does not place the automatic runner at second base in extra innings, going back to the traditional rules that can often see extra-inning affairs go much longer than they do during the regular season.

However, Alec Bohm had other plans, as he homered to break the tie in the 10th inning. In a series that has already had a lot of dramatic swings through the first two games, this was arguably the biggest of them all. Bohm had an up-and-down regular season, but was able to erase all of that with one big swing to put the Phillies on top and save their season.

This all sets up a decisive Game 3 in Atlanta on Thursday afternoon. With how the new postseason format works, a team as dominant as the Braves were all year has still found itself having to play a do-or-die three-game series just for a chance to reach the Division Series.

For the Phillies, it was a much different sense. They essentially backed into the playoffs, playing terrible baseball down the stretch, but doing just enough to secure that final wild-card spot. Them eliminating the Braves in this wild-card round would be a huge upset, and it is something Atlanta will look to avoid.

The Braves did get the tying run to second base in the 10th inning, but when Dom Smith stepped to the plate with two on and two out he did not have any more magic in his bat. He watched strike three go by on the inner corner, and while it was initially called a ball an ABS challenge flipped it, and the Braves were pushed to the brink of elimination.

Game 3 could determine a lot for the future of these two franchises, who both have star power and would be disappointed in such an early exit.