Braves Blast Past Phillies Into NLDS With 6-2 Winner-Take-All Win

The Atlanta Braves are back in the National League Division Series. On a night when every one of their runs came off the long ball, the Braves defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 in a decisive Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series at Truist Park on Thursday, according to multiple outlets.

Michael Harris II set the tone immediately. With two runners aboard in the first inning, he crushed a three-run homer off Phillies starter Aaron Nola, who lasted only 1 2/3 innings before being pulled with the season already slipping away.

Ozzie Albies added a two-run shot in the fourth inning off Zack Wheeler, who had entered in relief, to stretch the lead to 5-0. Matt Olson’s solo homer in the seventh restored the five-run cushion after Philadelphia finally got on the board.

Surprise starter Ray Kerr, making just his fourth career start, delivered 3 1/3 scoreless innings in his postseason debut, according to CNN. Chris Sale, Atlanta’s Game 1 starter, came out of the bullpen to record the final four outs.

The win was Atlanta’s first postseason series victory since the 2021 World Series — and its first playoff series win ever against the Phillies, who had eliminated the Braves in the 1993 NL Championship Series and the 2022 and 2023 NLDS. “Definitely feels amazing to win against the Phillies because they were the ones that sent us home previous years,” Albies said.

The best-of-five NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers begins Saturday in Los Angeles.

Sources

• Sportsnet — Braves book spot in NLDS with Game 3 win over Phillies
• CNN — Braves hit 3 homers to beat Phillies 6-2 in wild card clincher
• USA Today — Braves sink Phillies in winner-take-all clash to reach NLDS