Tyler Mahle gave the Braves exactly the kind of outing they needed - and it still wasn’t enough.
Atlanta had a chance to close out the Phillies in Game 2 of the Wild Card series, but the night slipped away in extra innings and now the matchup heads to a decisive Game 3. Mahle, the trade deadline pickup, was sharp for most of the night after a shaky opening frame, and the Braves twice moved in front. Still, Philadelphia kept hanging around, then flipped the game with a two-run burst in the eighth and a solo homer in the 10th.
Mahle’s first postseason start began with immediate trouble. Trea Turner doubled on the second pitch he saw, Kyle Schwarber advanced him to third on a groundout, and Bryce Harper followed with an RBI single the other way. Alec Bohm then singled to put runners on the corners before Mahle limited the damage by getting Bryson Stott to hit a comebacker for a fielder’s choice and striking out Brandon Marsh.
Atlanta answered right back in the bottom of the inning. Ronald Acuña drew a walk to start things off, then stole second and third before Matt Olson brought him home with a clutch hit to tie it at 1. After that, the offense stalled for a while, but the game never really lost its edge.
Mahle settled in quickly. He worked through the second, then looked even more comfortable in the third, punching out Schwarber and getting Harper to ground out.
The fourth and fifth innings followed the same pattern: Philadelphia had only scattered contact, and Mahle kept rolling. By the end of the fifth, he had also retired Schwarber and Harper again, showing why the Braves were so excited to get him.
The Braves, meanwhile, had chances they couldn’t fully cash in. Kim drew a six-pitch walk in the third, but the inning fizzled.
In the fifth, Sean Murphy doubled, and Philadelphia intentionally walked Acuña, but Drake Baldwin grounded out to end the threat. The sixth brought one of Atlanta’s best looks: the Braves loaded the bases on an Ozzie Albies single and back-to-back singles from Eugenio Suárez and Austin Riley, only for Michael Harris to ground into a double play.
The breakthrough finally came in the seventh, and it looked like Atlanta had seized control. After Murphy walked and Kim reached on a misplayed bunt, Acuña struck out again, but Baldwin delivered a double that put the Braves ahead by one on a ball that appeared to be misplayed by Harper. Albies was then intentionally walked, Olson added a sacrifice fly, and Atlanta had a two-run cushion.
That lead vanished almost immediately.
Dylan Lee came in for the eighth and was greeted by back-to-back home runs from Schwarber and Harper. Just like that, the game was tied. Raisel Iglesias finished the inning after that damage, but the momentum had already swung hard.
The ninth brought more tension. Iglesias stayed on the mound, Edmundo Sosa singled and was replaced by Derek Hill after appearing to be injured, and Crawford tried unsuccessfully to bunt the runner over.
After Realmuto popped up, the Braves turned to rookie Dider Fuentes with two outs and the game hanging in the balance. He got Turner to pop out, sending the game to the bottom of the ninth still tied.
Atlanta had one more push left. Yastrzemski pinch hit for Kim and flied out, Acuña grounded out again, and Baldwin singled. Albies then flew out to right, pushing the game into extras.
Fuentes remained in the game for the 10th, struck out Schwarber, and got Harper to ground out. But Alec Bohm changed everything with a solo homer on a ball over the middle of the plate. Stott and De La Cruz followed with singles, and Fuentes struck out Hill after that, but the damage was done.
The Braves made one last push in the bottom half. Olson struck out, Dubón singled, and Riley came up with a chance to play hero again, but he struck out.
Harris added a single, and Atlanta pinch hit Dominic Smith for Murphy. It didn’t work.
Smith struck out on three pitches, including an overturned ABS challenge, and the game was over.
Atlanta left 11 runners on base, and the bullpen couldn’t hold the line. The Braves had enough chances to win this one, but instead the series is going to Game 3.
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