Alec Bohm’s two-out home run in the 10th inning lifted the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday afternoon, forcing a decisive Game 3 in the National League Wild Card Series.
The game was tied 3-3 before Bohm connected for a 357-foot shot to right field off right-hander Didier Fuentes. The teams were playing under traditional extra-inning rules, without the designated runner on second base used in the regular season. It was Bohm’s third career postseason home run.
Philadelphia had trailed 3-1 before Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper answered with back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning. Harper’s homer came an inning after he was involved in a costly defensive play in right field.
In the seventh, Drake Baldwin’s double glanced off Harper’s glove, driving in Sean Murphy to put Atlanta ahead 2-1. Harper, who returned to playing the outfield late this season for the first time since 2022, got a poor jump on the ball and was leaping near the warning track when it eluded him. He was not charged with an error. Matt Olson followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the Atlanta lead.
“Probably should have been caught, obviously,” Harper said.
The Phillies answered in the eighth with homers from Schwarber and Harper off Dylan Lee, who had been the winning pitcher in Atlanta’s 5-3 series-opening victory on Tuesday. Schwarber’s homer traveled 447 feet, and Harper’s followed at 418 feet.
Andrew Painter, a regular-season starter, came on in relief and threw three scoreless innings to protect a taxed Philadelphia bullpen. He stranded two runners in the 10th inning and struck out Dominic Smith after the Phillies won an Automated Ball-Strike challenge.
Tyler Mahle allowed one run on six hits over seven innings for Atlanta. Cristopher Sánchez gave up three runs over 6 2/3 innings for Philadelphia, throwing a career-high 116 pitches.
The Phillies will look to continue their postseason success against the Braves in Thursday’s Game 3. Philadelphia has beaten Atlanta in the 1993 NLCS and the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.
The Braves announced that Major League Baseball will set the Game 3 start time for either 2:15 p.m. ET or 8:15 p.m. ET in Atlanta, depending on how the other three Wild Card Series Game 2 matchups conclude Wednesday night.
