Austin Riley hit a three-run homer off All-Star closer Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning and the Atlanta Braves rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 on Tuesday in the opener of a best-of-three National League Wild Card Series. Duran (0-1), who allowed just two homers in 61 regular-season games, gave up a single to Michael Harris II before hitting Ozzie Albies with a pitch. Riley drove the go-ahead blast over the wall in right-center field.
Harris had three hits. The Braves can clinch the series on Wednesday and end the Phillies’ history of postseason success in the NL East rivalry. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 1993 NLCS and the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.
Riley's go-ahead homer was especially satisfying after he hit only .219 with 19 homers in a frustrating regular season. "Especially knowing how my season was not the way I wanted it, that's why the postseason is a clean slate," Riley said, adding he was "trying to do something good" for his teammates. Braves ace Chris Sale said Riley never let his struggles affect his approach to the game during the regular season.
"You couldn't tell if he was the leading MVP candidate or if he was struggling," Sale said. "I really mean that. He's the same guy.
He kept doing the work and had a great moment." Sale dueled early against Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who was sharp after missing time down the stretch with left shoulder inflammation. Luzardo was expected to make an abbreviated start, but he pitched one-run ball over five innings with 77 pitches. "In my mind if we got 75 pitches from him today we would be in a pretty good spot," Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said of Luzardo.
"… He kind of gave us more than we thought honestly." Atlanta pounced when Philadelphia went to the bullpen — a common theme for the Phillies as they slumped into the postseason. Their relievers had a 5.79 ERA in September, worst in the majors.
Albies hit a tiebreaking triple off Alex McFarlane in the sixth for a 2-1 lead. Center fielder Derek Hill had an opportunity to make a leaping catch of Albies’ drive at the wall, but he appeared to jump too high. The ball hit Hill’s wrist below his glove.
J.T. Realmuto put Philadelphia ahead 3-2 with a two-run triple in the seventh inning — right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. bobbled the ball near the wall, but he wasn't charged with an error. Mattingly handed the ball over to Duran in the seventh, perhaps hoping the 28-year-old had three innings in him to close things out.
Duran made just one multi-inning appearance this season. Sale gave up three runs as he faded in the seventh in his effort to deliver as the ace of Atlanta’s depleted rotation. Sale hit Bryan De La Cruz with a pitch with one out in the seventh before giving up a single to Bryson Stott.
Right-hander Didier Fuentes then gave up Realmuto’s two-run triple to the right-field corner. Alec Bohm hit a high fastball from Sale for a run-scoring double over Harris in center in the first inning. Sale didn’t give up another hit until Edmundo Sosa doubled with two outs in the fifth.
Luzardo gave up three hits with six strikeouts. He pitched longer than many expected after throwing a scoreless eighth inning in Sunday’s 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays that clinched the wild-card berth. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for the save after Dylan Lee (1-0) threw a scoreless eighth.
