The Phillies have made a habit of turning late innings into something far more dramatic than anyone in Philadelphia would prefer. Game 2 against the Braves followed that script all the way to the end, with Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper going back-to-back with solo homers in the top of the eighth to tie it, then Alec Bohm launching a solo shot in the 10th to break a 3-3 deadlock and keep the season alive.
That kind of finish is why Philadelphia is still standing. The Phillies also had to win their final regular-season game against the Tampa Bay Rays just to reach the postseason, and they handled that assignment with a 7-3 victory. Now they’re one win from the NLDS and a matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
If they’re going to get there in Game 3, Bohm is one of the players they’ll be leaning on hardest. No Phillies hitter was better over the final two months of the regular season, and he did it while adjusting to a new defensive spot after taking over at first base with Luis Arraez’s arrival moving Bryson Stott from second base to first base.
The postseason hasn’t cooled him off. Bohm has helped flip the storyline around him entirely, and his strong finish to the regular season is now carrying into October.
Through the NLWC, he is 3-for-8 with a double, a home run, two RBI and a walk, and he has yet to strike out. Philadelphia needs that bat to stay loud in Game 3.
Harper, meanwhile, already gave the Phillies the kind of response they needed in Game 2. In the bottom of the seventh, he watched a fly ball keep carrying in right field, jumped for it, and had it go off the end of his glove, handing Atlanta momentum and a 3-1 lead. His teammates picked him up in the dugout before his next at-bat, and he answered with a solo homer.
That swing mattered for more than just the scoreboard. The Phillies are 12-0 in the postseason when Harper homers, and they’ll be looking for that same kind of impact again. With Edmundo Sosa injured, Harper will likely be back at first base, where the assignment is simple: hold his own defensively and let the bat do the damage.
Pitching, though, may decide everything. Interim manager Don Mattingly has been piecing together the staff game by game, and the results have been uneven. Jesus Luzardo gave Philadelphia five unexpected innings in Game 1 before the bullpen fell apart again, with Alex McFarlane and Jhoan Duran combining to allow four earned runs.
Game 2 was handled differently. McFarlane was the only reliever used, getting the final out of the seventh, and Andrew Painter covered the last three innings. For Game 3, the Phillies need Aaron Nola to work deep enough to keep that bullpen from becoming the story again.
There is at least some reason to believe Philadelphia has the pitching edge in this one. Nola will start, and Zack Wheeler and Luzardo may be available out of the bullpen. McFarlane has already pitched in both games but has thrown only 20 pitches, and Duran should be ready too.
Atlanta’s setup looks less flexible. The Braves are planning to use an opener with Grant Holmes as the bulk-inning reliever, and all of their high-leverage arms have already pitched in the first two games. That leaves Philadelphia with a path, as long as Nola can give them the innings they need and the bats from Bohm and Harper keep showing up when the pressure spikes.
In Other News...
Andrew Painter Just Changed The Phillies Biggest Playoff Fear
When the Phillies needed a steady arm in the biggest pressure spot of their Wild Card Series, Don Mattingly turned to rookie Andrew Painter in relief during extra innings of Game 2 against the Braves. Painter responded with three scoreless innings, and the Phillies rode that effort to a 4-3 win that sent them on to the next round, a result that did more than just keep their October alive.
Painters outing also offered something Philadelphia has been searching for this postseason: a little more confidence in the back end of games. Along the way, several key pitch calls went his way after challenges were overturned, adding to the sense that the night kept bending toward the Phillies, even before the final out was recorded. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Have One Power Threat To Watch In Winner Take All Game
The Phillies and Braves are headed into a winner-take-all Game 3 in the wild card round, and the home run swings that have already shaped the series are part of the backdrop. Both lineups have shown they can change the game in a hurry, and with a trip to the NLDS on the line, any mistake in the strike zone could carry a lot more weight than usual.
For Philadelphia, Kyle Schwarber remains the obvious middle-of-the-order threat to watch, while Atlantas Drake Baldwin has also emerged as a name to keep on the radar based on recent power production. The pitching matchup has not been announced yet, which only adds to the uncertainty, but it also means the kind of one-swing impact both clubs have already shown is still very much in play. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Face A Do-Or-Die Pitching Gamble In Game 3
The Phillies are taking a bold route in Game 3, handing the ball to Aaron Nola with the season hanging in the balance against Atlanta. Zack Wheeler is expected to be available behind him in relief, giving Philadelphia a chance to deploy one of its top arms in a different role if the situation turns late, while Jhoan Duran could be the final piece if the game reaches the closing innings.
Atlanta, meanwhile, is lined up to counter with left-hander Ray Kerr as an opener before Grant Holmes likely handles the bulk of the work. It sets up a pitching chess match with very little margin for error, and for the Phillies, the real question is not just whether Nola can deliver, but how long the club can wait before leaning on Wheeler in a game they need to have. [Read more 🡒]