Phillies beat Braves 4-3 in 10 innings to even NLWC series

Dustin Judge
Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh (16) watches his two RBI double.

Alec Bohm homered leading off the 10th inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies past the Atlanta Braves 4-3 on Wednesday at Truist Park, forcing Game 3. Bryce Harper drove in two runs, including a game-tying eighth-inning homer, to keep Philadelphia’s season alive.

The Braves scored twice in the seventh to take a 3-1 lead, with Baldwin doubling and Olson’s sacrifice fly driving in a run. But Schwarber and Harper hit back-to-back homers in the eighth off Dylan Lee to tie it 3-3, setting up Bohm’s walk-off blast two innings later. Olson drove in two runs for Atlanta, while starter Tyler Mahle allowed one earned run over 7.0 innings before the bullpen gave way.

Takeaways from Phillies’ win over Braves

Bullpen breakthrough after Braves’ seventh-inning surge

Atlanta scored twice in the seventh to take a 3-1 lead, with Baldwin doubling and Olson’s sacrifice fly driving in a run. It looked like the kind of late-inning strike that has defined this series. Instead, Philadelphia’s bullpen shut the door from there, with Andrew Painter tossing 3.0 scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win.

Schwarber and Harper turn the eighth inning into a turning point

Schwarber’s 447-foot homer to right-center cut the deficit to 3-2, and Harper followed with a 418-foot shot to tie it. Both came off Dylan Lee, who allowed two runs on two hits in 0.2 innings.

Bohm delivers the decisive blow in extras

Bohm led off the 10th with a 357-foot homer to right off Didier Fuentes, who took the loss. It was Bohm’s second hit and second RBI of the night, and it proved decisive when Philadelphia’s bullpen held Atlanta scoreless in the bottom half.

Player of the game: Bryce Harper

Harper went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. He opened the scoring in the first with an RBI single, then tied the game with his eighth-inning homer.

Phillies vs. Braves by the numbers

Philadelphia out-hit Atlanta 12-9 with three home runs; Atlanta had none. Cristopher Sánchez allowed three runs on six hits in 6.2 innings. Andrew Painter threw 3.0 scoreless innings for the win.

Mahle struck out six over 7.0 innings, allowing one earned run. The game drew 37,150 to Truist Park.

What it means

The win pushes the series to a decisive Game 3 on Thursday at Truist Park, with the winner advancing to face the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series. Philadelphia improved to 88-74 this season, while Atlanta fell to 94-68. Per the Inquirer, Zack Wheeler and probably Aaron Nola are available for Game 3, with Wheeler on two days’ rest and Nola on three.

Jhoan Duran’s availability remains uncertain. Interim manager Don Mattingly said Duran told him “maybe yes, maybe not” after throwing in the seventh and eighth innings of Game 1, per the Inquirer.

What’s next

Game 3 is set for Thursday, Oct. 1 at Truist Park, per Yahoo Sports. The winner advances to the Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, the NL’s No. 1 seed.

Reporting from Yahoo Sports and Inquirer contributed to this story. Official statistics: ESPN (official league data).

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.