If looks could kill, the Phillies would’ve been in much worse shape on Wednesday night at Truist Park.
Instead, they brushed off all daggers and pulled off a comeback victory over their National League East rivals.
Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia paid back Philadelphia star first baseman Bryce Harper in the form of a stare-down after hitting a two-run, go-ahead home run. But the Phillies came away with a win as they lengthened their divisional lead over Atlanta.
In last year’s NL Division Series between the two clubs, Arcia yelled, “Atta boy, Harper,” in the clubhouse to poke fun at a game-ending baserunning blunder from the two-time NL MVP in Game 2. Harper responded by homering twice in Game 3, glaring directly at Arcia as he trotted the bases following both blasts.
Arcia appeared to shoot Harper a similar look as he rounded first base on Wednesday after hitting a home run in the fourth inning. But, as was the case in the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, the Phillies left victorious, claiming a 3-2 come-from-behind win.
The homer from Arcia gave Atlanta a 2-0 lead, but the Phillies climbed back to tie it in the sixth inning and went ahead in the eighth as Brandon Marsh drove home Weston Wilson with a sacrifice fly. Philadelphia shut the door in the ninth as former Phillie Whit Merrifield grounded out to Harper to end the game.
After dropping the opener of this three-game road set, the Phillies (74-52) evened the series. They have a seven-game lead for first place in the NL East over the Braves, the winners of the last six division titles. The two teams will face off in the finale of this series on Thursday night, then meet again for four more games at Citizens Bank Park in one week.
There is a real rivalry between Philadelphia and Atlanta, and Arcia’s callback is only further proof of what the baseball world already knew. For two years in a row, the Braves had owned the NL East and the wild-card Phillies took them down in the postseason. With the Phillies in the driver’s seat in the division this year, Atlanta could have its own chance to play spoiler in the playoffs in 2024.
With five more matchups in the regular season and maybe even a chance of another postseason series, the Phillies and Braves will have plenty more time to provide some excitement and entertainment this year. You might not want to look away.
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