The Phillies went into Game 3 with plenty working in their favor, but Atlanta flipped the script and sent Philadelphia home.
After Philadelphia’s comeback win had pushed the Wild Card Round to a winner-take-all matchup, the setup looked promising for the Phillies. Their pitching staff was fresher, and a few bats seemed to be finding their footing at just the right time. None of that mattered once the Braves started unloading.
Atlanta opened with Ray Kerr before turning things over to Grant Holmes, and the rookie left-hander wound up handling the heaviest workload of any Braves pitcher. Holmes lasted longer than Aaron Nola, who was asked to carry the Phillies’ season and simply couldn’t do it.
Don Mattingly’s decision will draw attention, especially with Zack Wheeler available on short rest. But the night unraveled early for Nola, who got just five outs before Tim Mayza came in. He was charged with three earned runs on two hits and two walks, and Michael Harris delivered the hammer with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first.
That blast changed the feel of the game immediately. Nola’s season-long issue with the home run ball showed up again, only this time the damage came all at once instead of through scattered solo shots.
Wheeler was unable to rescue the situation either. In the bottom of the fourth, Ozzie Albies launched a two-run homer to stretch Atlanta’s lead to 5-0, and that margin was more than enough to put Philadelphia in a hole it never climbed out of.
Wheeler also battled command, walking three, and the short rest may have played a role. Nola was on regular rest, though he had started last Saturday on two days’ rest, which altered his schedule.
Atlanta added its final run in the seventh when Matt Olson homered off Jonathan Bowlan, a fitting finish for a Braves lineup that beat the Phillies with power. Philadelphia managed only six hits and scored twice in a frustrating ending to a season that never fully settled into place.
Now the offseason arrives with a long to-do list for Dave Dombrowski as he tries to push this club closer to true World Series contention.
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 🡒]
Braves Fans Have One Big Reason To Watch Phillies In Game 3
The Phillies have turned this series into exactly the sort of October test they wanted after winning their final regular-season game just to get here. Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper have already supplied important power and timely production, and Philadelphia has found enough offense to keep pace with Atlanta as the NL Wild Card Series has tightened into a bullpen-heavy chess match.
Game 3 now shifts the spotlight to Aaron Nola, with the Phillies leaning on him to stabilize the night while the relief corps waits behind him, including Alex McFarlane and Jhoan Duran. Atlanta is expected to go with an opener and then piece together the rest with relievers who have already been used in the series, which leaves this one feeling like the kind of matchup where every inning can change the tenor of the whole night. [Read more 🡒]