The Phillies had this one lined up perfectly through seven innings, and still walked away empty-handed.
Aaron Nola gave Philadelphia exactly what it needed on the mound, carving through Atlanta with one run allowed on four hits and one walk across seven innings. He struck out five and kept the Braves quiet long enough for the lineup to cash in on some mistakes.
Philadelphia scored twice against Tyler Mahle, and neither run was earned. Then, after Mahle was out of the game in the seventh, the Phillies added two more against Dylan Dodd, with Derek Hill and Kyle Schwarber each launching solo homers to push the lead to 4-1.
That cushion held until the bullpen got involved.
Interim manager Don Mattingly went to the relief corps in the eighth after Nola had reached 93 pitches, and with roles in flux, rookie Alex McFarlane got the call to handle the inning. Orion Kerkering’s role is set to change after another rough outing in Game 1 against Atlanta, and Jonathan Bowlan, who had already allowed a run in Game 2 and in three of his last four appearances, had also been used out of the bullpen. That left McFarlane to bridge the gap to Jhoan Duran.
McFarlane had been sharp in his first appearance against the Braves two days earlier, needing just eight pitches, all strikes, to get through his inning. This time, he opened by getting Austin Riley to line out to Hill in center, but that was the only out he recorded.
Mike Yastrzemski followed with a single, Drake Baldwin doubled, and then Ronald Acuna Jr. sent a three-run homer out to erase the lead. It was the second straight day Acuna had gone deep.
Brooks Raley came in after the game was tied at 4-4 and kept Atlanta from doing any more damage in the inning. But the damage wasn’t finished.
Duran took over in the ninth and couldn’t hold the line. Ozzie Albies doubled to start the frame, Sean Murphy moved him to third with a groundout, and Riley brought him home with a triple. Yastrzemski and Baldwin both struck out to end the inning, but the Braves had a 5-4 edge for Raisel Iglesias.
Philadelphia still had a chance. Bryson Stott, who has a ton of success against Iglesias in his career, opened the inning with a single.
Hill then grounded out to move him to second, and a miscue by Murphy behind the plate let Stott reach third. Bryan De La Cruz then ripped a hard liner, but with Atlanta’s defense in, Mauricio Dubon snagged it at shortstop.
Edmundo Sosa pinch-hit next and was set down on three pitches to end it.
The Phillies were left with a loss that fits the same frustrating pattern: seven strong innings, then a bullpen collapse. The defeat also means Philadelphia can no longer get the tiebreaker from Atlanta, which has already won seven games against the Phillies this season.
In Other News...
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For Braves fans, it was the sort of critique that lands with extra edge because it came from a rival who has plenty of history of his own. The exchange also pointed back to the differing team cultures around celebration and edge, with Philadelphia under Don Mattingly leaning into a harder-nosed identity while Atlanta has long been more comfortable letting its stars show personality. It was another reminder that even in a series that has moved on, the grudges and reactions tend to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Riley Just Changed A Brutal Braves Narrative At The Perfect Time
Austin Riley picked a timely moment to cut through a season that had not always matched the expectations around his bat. In a pivotal game against the Phillies, he came through in the ninth inning with a go-ahead triple, the kind of swing that can steady a clubhouse and keep Atlanta on course in the NL East race.
Rileys year has been marked by frustration in high-leverage spots, which is why this one stood out so sharply. Facing Phillies closer Jhoan Duran, he delivered when the Braves needed it most, and for a player trying to reset the story around his season, it was the sort of breakthrough that can linger well beyond one night. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Have An October Rotation Question They Can't Ignore
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Manager Walt Weiss said Reynaldo Lpez will be joining the rotation soon, a move that adds another layer to the conversation without settling it. The Braves still have decisions to make on both the rotation and bullpen roles, and the bigger issue is less about regular-season innings than about postseason suitability. For a staff that has carried the team for much of the year, the next few turns could go a long way toward determining how Atlanta lines up when the games matter most. [Read more 🡒]