The Braves are staring straight into the kind of Game 3 that can define a season. It’s a do-or-die matchup against a division rival, and the setup is brutal: likely Zack Wheeler on the mound for Philadelphia, while Atlanta goes in without a true starting pitcher of its own.
Grant Holmes is expected to shoulder a major part of the load, and Ray Kerr should also factor in as a useful option against the left-handed bats at the top of the Phillies’ order before the bullpen takes over. That reality traces back to the offseason and the trade deadline, where the Braves never added another starter to the mix. Injuries piled up, prospects didn’t make the leap, and now Atlanta is left without a clean answer for the most important game of the series, even after lining up its pitching staff for this matchup.
If the Braves pull it out, the issue doesn’t disappear. If they don’t, it’ll be a talking point all winter, the kind of thing that lingers through what could be a long offseason. Buckle up.
One bright spot has been Tyler Mahle, the club’s lone major starter addition. He’s given Atlanta far more than anyone could reasonably have expected, with two months of strong pitching after the deadline and 7.0 innings of one-run ball in Game 2. He’s been so good that bringing him back to Atlanta sounds like a real possibility.
Walt Weiss spoke with the media after Game 2 and addressed both the in-game management and Mahle’s outing.
Mahle did his job, but the Braves still dropped Game 2 because the offense didn’t hit enough homers and the bullpen faded, setting up this all-or-nothing Game 3.
Around the league, the Cinderella White Sox punched their ticket to the ALDS in a wide-open American League by knocking out the Astros.
The Yankees advanced too, hammering their longtime rival Red Sox.
Meanwhile, the Padres were leading the Cubs at the time of writing, and that result will determine when the Braves play Game 3. A Padres win would send the Braves and Phillies into primetime, while a Cubs win would push them into their usual 2 p.m. Wild Card slot.
In Other News...
Phillies Suddenly Face An Infield Problem If They Reach Game 3
Edmundo Sosas hard charge to first base in Game 2 of the Wild Card Round turned into an uncomfortable moment for the Phillies, who suddenly had to manage both the rest of the game and the possibility of an infield shuffle later in the series. Sosa was hurt on the play and was replaced by Derek Hill as a pinch runner, forcing Philadelphia to adjust defensively on the fly.
The immediate concern is what it means if the Phillies need a Game 3. Sosa has been part of their infield depth and flexibility, and any inability to use him would leave Philadelphia with a roster decision and a tighter margin for error if the series stretches on. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Send Clear Message With Season On The Line In Game 2
After dropping Game 1 of their NLWC matchup with the Braves, the Phillies responded by reshaping the look of their lineup for Game 2. Brandon Marsh and Justin Crawford were both inserted into the outfield, and Bryson Stott was moved into the cleanup spot, a clear sign that Philadelphia is not treating this as a routine playoff follow-up. With Cristopher Sanchez set to start on the mound, the Phillies are leaning into a different mix as they try to keep their season from slipping away.
The changes underscore how much urgency sits behind every decision now, with Philadelphia needing a sharper offensive showing after the 5-3 loss in the opener. Moving pieces around this late in the year is never subtle, and the Phillies made it plain they were willing to alter the lineup rather than stand pat. What remains to be seen is whether the new alignment can deliver the kind of timely production the Braves forced them to chase. [Read more 🡒]
Andrew Painter Just Changed The Phillies Biggest Playoff Fear
Don Mattingly reaching for Andrew Painter in relief during extra innings of Game 2 of the Wild Card Series was not the kind of October script the Phillies had in mind when the night began. But the rookie answered with three scoreless innings against the Braves, steadying a game that had gone to extra frames and helping Philadelphia hang on for a 4-3 win to advance in the postseason.
Painters outing did more than protect one tense victory. It also gave the Phillies a rare kind of October insurance, the sort that can reshape how a team views its pitching depth when the games get tighter and the margins thinner. Several key pitch calls were challenged and overturned in Painters favor along the way, and by the end of it the biggest playoff worry around Philadelphia suddenly looked a lot less urgent. [Read more 🡒]