Phillies Name Surprising Game 1 Starter For Wild-Card Series vs Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies will be taking on the Atlanta Braves in the National League wild-card series to kick off their 2026 postseason run.

After a tough September, Philadelphia was able to barely squeak into the playoff bracket by winning on the final day of the regular season. But for the Phillies, all that matters is that they are in the dance, not how they got there.

Going up against the Braves will be a challenge for Philadelphia, but these two teams know each other very well. The Phillies went 4-9 against Atlanta during the regular season, but the games get tighter come playoff time.

Ahead of Game 1 on Tuesday, Phillies manager Don Mattingly had a tough decision to make about the starter for the contest. But Mattingly has now released the information, naming left-hander Jesus Luzardo as the pitcher to open the game.

This move is somewhat surprisingly since Luzardo was out for a few weeks due to left shoulder inflammation. But the left-hander was able to get into a game against the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend, showing Mattingly all he needed to know.

Before his injury, Luzardo had been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, shutting teams down game-in, game-out. For the year, Luzardo has recorded a 2.86 ERA over 30 appearances (29 starts) for the Phillies.

In his final start of the season before getting hurt, Luzardo threw a complete-game shutout against the Braves. The left-hander dominated Atlanta, striking out 12 batters and allowing just two hits in the contest.

Due to him coming off the injury, it remains to be seen how long Luzardo will go against the Braves. But if he is dealing on the mound, it's unlikely that Mattingly will take him out of the game.

Mattingly likely believes that Luzardo gives this team the best chance to start the series, going opposite against Braves ace Chris Sale. Philadelphia has a strong collection of starting pitchers, with the veteran manager likely wanting to save arms throughout the series.

The Phillies can see how the game plays out on Tuesday, seeing how they want to structure the rotation the rest of the way. Philadelphia has ace Cristopher Sanchez, right-hander Aaron Nola, and right-hander Zack Wheeler as options to use as well.

Righty Andrew Painter could also be an option to start for the Phillies, but the team may prefer to wait and see if they need him. Since it's just a three-game series with the Braves, Philadelphia could elect to position itself for the upcoming NLDS, if they can advance past Atlanta.