Final: Braves 3, Phillies 0
It was there for the taking. Zack Wheeler was locked in. The Phillies had a legitimate opportunity to go up 2-0 over the defending World Series Champion Atlanta Braves in the NLDS, with the series set to shift back to Philadelphia Friday.
And then the bottom of the sixth inning just never ended.
Wheeler cruised until hitting Ronald Acuña Jr. with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. In clear pain after getting hit just above the elbow, Acuña visited with the trainer for more than five minutes before ultimately staying in the game:
Wheeler then walked Dansby Swanson, but appeared to induce a hard-hit ground ball off the bat of Matt Olson. Instead, Rhys Hoskins booted the ball at first base, allowing the Braves to take a 1-0 lead:
Olson was credited with a base hit, but it was a play that should have been made by Hoskins. At the very least, he should have prevented the ball from getting into the outfield, which would have kept Acuña at third base.
The Braves increased their lead a batter later, when Austin Riley hit a ball between Wheeler and Alec Bohm, which ultimately didn’t draw a throw. Swanson — who made an incredible catch to rob J.T. Realmuto of a hit and end the top of the sixth inning — crossed to score the second run:
Before the inning was out, Travis d’Arnaud — once part of the trade package that the Phillies sent to the Toronto Blue Jays for Roy Halladay — singled in the final run of the inning, giving the Braves a 3-0 lead. It was already the fourth RBI of the series for the 33-year-old.
The Phillies were never able to get on the board in Game 2. In addition to tremendous pitching from Kyle Wright, A.J. Minter, Raisel Iglesias and Kenley Jansen — who limited opposing hitters to just three hits — the Braves made two of the better plays you’ll see this postseason.
Two innings after Swanson’s play, Austin Riley snowconed a ball hit off the bat of Bryson Stott, shutting down a potential eighth-inning rally:
With the loss from the Phillies, the series is now evened at 1-1. There will for sure be two games in Philadelphia this weekend, Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Saturday.
Aaron Nola will get the ball Friday, when the Phillies welcome the Braves to Citizens Bank Park for their first home postseason game since Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS.
Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance
- Zack Wheeler appeared on track to turn in a classic postseason start, before a strange sixth inning knocked him out of the game. He’s to blame for some degree because he hit Acuña and subsequently walked Swanson. But had Hoskins fielded the ball cleanly at first base, Wheeler likely would have gone at least seven innings.
- Kyle Wright, a 21-game winner in the regular season, limited the Phillies to two hits over six scoreless innings. The 27-year-old struck out six, while walking just one.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Friday, Oct. 14 vs. Braves at Citizens Bank Park (Game 3)
- 4:37 p.m. ET
- TV: FS1
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP, ESPN Radio
- Spanish Radio: WTTM 1680
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