The Eagles don’t have too much time to dwell on a demoralizing first loss of the season on Monday night. Not with the Los Angeles Rams here on Sunday (1 p.m., Fox29).
The first game at Lincoln Financial Field since Week 1 finds both teams heading into this game with something to prove, with the Rams losing last week as well to the Broncos.
During a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s practice, Rams coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Davante Adams detailed where their focus is before traveling to Philly.
The trio focused on injuries, veteran leadership, and their offense getting through the Birds’ physical defense.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford says playing against the Eagles, particularly on the road, is “always a tough out.”Matt York
“They’re always a tough out, especially at their place,” Stafford said. “Obviously, they have guys on that team who have done really special things in this league … It’s always a challenge going up against them, both offensively and defensively, but also from a personal standpoint. They have great players.”
The veteran quarterback pointed directly to the Birds’ defensive line, describing the Eagles as a team that “plays [an] extremely physical upfront, penetrating style of defensive line.”
Physicality could be an important factor against a Rams offense that struggled to finish drives last week in a close game, scoring only one touchdown.
“We want to stay ahead of the chains to be efficient, both in the run game and the pass game,” Stafford said.
One of the biggest developments going into Sunday is the return of Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua, a weapon who could potentially break through the Eagles’ defense given some injuries to key players.
McVay said that he expects Nacua to play against the Eagles after the wide receiver missed the past two games with a hip injury. Nacua led the NFL with 129 catches last season and finished with 1,715 receiving yards.
Sean Mannion was also a hot topic for the Rams, due to his ties in Los Angeles.
The offensive coordinator spent the first part of his NFL career as a quarterback with the Rams after the team drafted him in 2015. Mannion was on McVay’s roster during the 2017 and 2018 seasons before eventually moving into coaching, with the Rams coach showing his respect for his former player during the press conference.
“It’s cool to be able to see him in a great opportunity, a big-time job,” McVay said.
Adams spoke last in the conference and assured both Rams and Eagles fans that one loss doesn’t define a season or even change the cutthroat mentality they have as they prepare for the matchup.
“Humility is one play away if you’re sleeping on somebody, so we don’t take anybody lightly at the end of the day,” Adams said.
NEW YORK — The finishing point from the end of last season is where the Villanova men’s basketball team starts — at least on paper — to begin the 2026-27 basketball season.
The Wildcats landed as expected in the third spot behind Connecticut and St. John’s in the preseason Big East coaches poll announced Thursday morning in New York at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.
St. John’s went 18-2 in Big East play last season, UConn went 17-3, and third-place Villanova was 15-5. Fourth-place Seton Hall, meanwhile, was 10-10. Villanova’s offseason was spent reloading a roster in the hopes that the Wildcats, who reached the NCAA Tournament in Kevin Willard’s first season, close the gap between themselves and the top two teams in the conference.
Villanova coach Kevin Willard with forward Devin Royal during an open practice on July 27.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The roster looks a lot different. Only two players returned, including senior Tyler Perkins, who was selected preseason first-team all-conference. Matthew Hodge, the other returning player, is recovering from ACL surgery.
Villanova will begin its season in Rome vs. Notre Dame on Nov. 1. Its new-look starting lineup is projected to feature Perkins and four new players: point guard Elijah Crawford, forwards Kwame Evans Jr. and Devin Royal, and Italian big man Luigi Suigo, a 7-foot-3 center who is projected to be a first-round pick in next year’s NBA draft. Evans and Royal were both named to the all-Big East second team announced Thursday.
UConn received eight first-place votes while St. John’s received two and Marquette got one. Coaches cannot vote for their own team.
Wildcats women picked second
Like the men, Denise Dillon’s Villanova women’s team also is where it was at the end of last season: staring up at powerhouse UConn from the No. 2 spot.
The Wildcats received one first-place vote, which had to be from UConn coach Geno Auriemma, considering the rest of the first-place votes went to the Huskies.
Villanova had its fifth consecutive 20-win season last year. The Wildcats finished 25-8 and 16-4 in Big East play. They reached the NCAA Tournament and lost a first-round game to Texas Tech.
Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe averaged 18.9 points and 4.0 rebounds last season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Leading scorer Jasmine Bascoe, a junior guard, is back after averaging 18.9 points and 4.0 rebounds. She was a unanimous first-team all-conference player last season and landed on this year’s preseason all-Big East team alongside sophomore guard Kennedy Henry.
The full men’s and women’s preseason polls are below:
ATLANTA — For years, the Phillies applied a pitching formula to optimize success in short postseason series.
“Wheeler, Nola, and it’s all o-vah.”
It was their twist on “Spahn, Sain, and pray for rain,” and it worked, at least in best-of-three wild-card series in 2022 and 2023. Now, facing a third elimination game in less than a week Thursday night, they will lean on their two longtime horses again.
Aaron Nola will start Game 3 here against the Braves. Zack Wheeler is expected to be available to follow Nola.
Nola will be on full rest, four days after starting on only two days’ rest and lasting only one inning in a desperate gambit to clinch a playoff spot last Saturday night. But the Phillies will take an “all hands on deck” approach to their pitching plan, interim manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday.
Wheeler, who would be on three days’ rest after starting the regular-season finale, is almost certainly part of that plan. It’s possible the Phillies could take a similar approach to Game 3 of the division series last year in Los Angeles, when Nola faced eight batters in two innings before yielding to fellow starter Ranger Suárez.
Nola said Sunday that he felt “a little bit more [sore], for sure” after his first-ever start on short rest. But he threw a between-starts bullpen session Monday in Atlanta.
“I could throw 40 to 50 pitches in a bullpen, and it’s never going to be the game situation, the adrenaline rush,” Nola said. “But I feel good.”
Aaron Nola (left) and Zack Wheeler, pictured in spring training, will factor into the Phillies’ Game 3 pitching plan, with Nola making the start.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Nola has made 41 career starts against the Braves, posting a 3.71 ERA in 252⅓ innings. In three starts this season, he has a 4.50 ERA, with the Braves batting .250 with a .500 slugging percentage.
In the postseason, Nola has twice faced the Braves in a series that was tied at one game apiece. He allowed one unearned run in six innings against the Braves in Game 3 of the 2022 NL division series and two runs in 5⅔ innings in Game 3 of the same round in 2023. The Phillies won both games — and both series.
Jesús Luzardo could possibly sit in the bullpen for Game 3, although it’s unclear if the Phillies would use him on two days’ rest after he missed three weeks in September with an inflamed left shoulder.
Rookie starter Andrew Painter saved the Phillies’ season in Game 2 against the Braves by making his postseason debut as a reliever and tossing three scoreless innings in a 4-3, 10-inning victory.
NBC Sports Philadelphia was first with the news that Nola would start Game 3.
‘This team needs changes’: Reaction to Phillies season-ending loss to the Braves
Alec Bohm walks off the field after the final out in Game 3.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
NBC analyst John Kruk: “People are going to say the Braves wanted it more… The Phillies battled, but they just got beat by a better team.”
NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ricky Bottalico: “This is disappointing in so many different ways. It’s not just because of Aaron Nola, it’s because the hitting didn’t show up [and a] lot of things didn’t come to fruition. This is a team that it may have been their last chance as is.”
Jayson Stark, The Athletic: “Watching Otto Kemp make the last out of a postseason series sends a fitting message to Phillies management. Depth. They’ve had way too little of it in every aspect of their roster construction. With an aging roster, that can’t happen again.
94.1 WIP’s James Seltzer: “This team needs changes. Big changes. This era of the Phillies has to end and a new one has to start. This group has gone as far as they’re going to go together. They’re just not good enough.”
Chris Sale sealed the Braves’ win against the Phillies.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA – It ended with Otto Kemp, whose last major-league at-bat came on May 20, striking out against Chris Sale.
The Phillies season is over.
Another year that began with the promise of a star-laden $322 million payroll ended with a 6-2 drubbing by the Braves in winner-takes-all Game 3 of the wild-card series.
The Phillies have made the postseason in five consecutive years but haven’t won a postseason series since the 2023 NL division series against the Braves.
Atlanta will move on to face the Dodgers in the division series.
Despite holding a four-run lead, they brought in ace Chris Sale with two out in the eighth inning to face Bryce Harper. And Sale struck out Harper on four pitches, the last of which was so far outside that it was in the right-handed batter’s box.
The ball skipped away from catcher Drake Baldwin, but Harper didn’t run immediately and was thrown out at first base.
And the Phillies are down to their last three outs.
Phillies pull Zack Wheeler and immediate regret it.
Jonathan Bowlan took the mound in the seventh inning of Game 3. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Phillies pulled Zach Wheeler going into the bottom of the seventh inning and replaced him with reliever Jonathan Bowlan, his first appearance since Sept. 17.
Matt Olsen made the Phillies pay, crushing a solo bomb off Bowlan to extend the Braves’ lead 6-1.
Wheeler’s final line in Game 3? He gave up three hits and walked three in four innings, giving up two earned runs while striking our three.
Bryce Harper hits a double during the sixth inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA – It took three games, but we finally got the long-awaited Bryce Harper-Robert Suarez postseason rematch.
Harper took Suarez deep in Game 5 of the 2023 NL Championship Series for his famous pennant-clinching “Bedlam at the Bank” homer. And when they met again in the sixth inning here, Harper roped a double into the right-field corner.
Of course, the Phillies were trailing by five runs at the time.
But Harper’s double followed a single by Kyle Schwarber, who scored one batter later on Alec Bohm’s groundout. The Braves happily traded the out for the run and hold a 5-1 lead with nine outs to get.
Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler after giving up a two-run homer in Game 3.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
While the Atlanta Braves jumped out to the early lead, NBC analyst and former NL MVP Joey Votto offered words of optimism with Phillies ace Zack Wheeler on the mound.
“As good as Zack Wheeler looks, this game is as in play as it gets,” Votto said during the broadcast. “I do not see the Braves scoring any more runs the rest of the way.”
Four pitches later, Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies crushed a Wheeler fastball over the wall in right-center field, extending the Braves’ lead to 5-0.
“Joey, I’ve had a lot of fun working with you over these last three days, man,” said fellow analyst C.J. Nitkowski. “Do not check your mentions.”
After a nine-pitch walk to Austin Riley, Zack Wheeler left a fastball over the middle of the plate for Ozzie Albies, who deposited it over the right-center field wall. It’s 5-0 Braves in the fourth, and the Phillies’ at-bats have hardly been competitive so far.
ATLANTA — That’s it for Braves opener Ray Kerr, who is lifted with one out in the fourth for Grant Holmes.
Kerr did his job, shutting down the Phillies for three innings and leaving a runner on first for Holmes, who will face Alec Bohm. The Phillies saw Holmes four times this year, and he held them to a 3.05 ERA. He is expected to be the bulk pitcher for Atlanta the rest of the way, as the Phillies are still staring down a 3-0 deficit.
Were Phillies wrong to turn to Aaron Nola on short rest?
Aaron Nola leaves Game 3 in the second inning. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA – It’s fair to wonder, especially now, about the potential toll that pitching on two days’ rest took on Aaron Nola.
Nola, starting on full rest in Game 3, exhibited none of his typical precision command in lasting only 1 ⅔ innings. Ten of his first 13 pitches were balls. J.T. Realmuto wanted the 14th pitch low and away. It ran back over the plate for a three-run homer to Michael Harris II.
Last Saturday, in their desperation to clinch a wild-card spot before the last game of the season, the Phillies started Nola on two days’ rest. He lasted only one inning in a loss.
The next day, during the Phillies’ clinching celebration, I asked Nola how his arm felt one day after starting on short rest for the first time in his career.
“A little bit more [sore] than after a bullpen,” he said. “A little bit more, for sure. Obviously it was a game situation. I could throw 40 to 50 pitches in a bullpen, and it’s never going to be the game situation, [with] the adrenaline, rush.
“But I feel good.”
Nola threw a bullpen session here Monday without issue. But he was able to face only nine batters and get five outs in the winner-take-all Game 3 before being lifted for lefty Tim Mayza, who got the final out of the second inning.
Zack Wheeler, on three days’ rest, is on for the third inning with the Phillies trailing 3-0.
Aaron Nola didn’t make it through the second inning of Game 2.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — Zack Wheeler has begun throwing in the Phillies’ bullpen in left field.
After Aaron Nola allowed a two-out single up the middle to nine-hole hitter Dominic Smith, his night ended there. Lefty Tim Mayza entered the game tasked with finishing off the second inning, while Wheeler continues to warm.
Wheeler will be appearing on short rest, after throwing 97 pitches on Sept. 27 to help the Phillies finally clinch a playoff berth in Game 162.
Braves pitcher Ray Kerr during the second inning in Game 3.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — The Phillies haven’t figured out Braves opener Ray Kerr.
The lefty, who was only promoted to Atlanta’s major league roster on Aug. 16, did his job of handling the top of the Phillies’ order, outside of a single from Kyle Schwarber. He returned for a 1-2-3 second, as that single remains the Phillies’ only hit of the night so far. It’s unknown how long Kerr is expected to remain in the game, but if he continues to be this efficient — 28 pitches — it could be another turn through the lineup.
The Braves have one hit, too, but it happened to be a three-run homer. The Phillies offense has some work to do.
The Braves’ Michael Harris II hits a three-run home run off Aaron Nola in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA – It’s already a nightmare start for Aaron Nola and the Phillies.
Nola has not had his command early. After a first-pitch flyout from Drake Baldwin, he issued back-to-back walks to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson. He started Michael Harris II off with consecutive balls, too, before Harris went down to get a sinker below the zone and sent it 387 feet out of the stadium.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is projected to start Game 1 of the NLDS for the Dodgers. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
If the Phillies defeat the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 Thursday night, they’ll advance to the National League divisional series and take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Here is the full NLDS schedule:
Game 1: Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Saturday, Oct. 3, 4 p.m. (FS1)
Game 2: Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 4, 8 p.m. (FS1)
Game 3: Dodgers at Braves/Phillies, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 6 p.m. (FS1)
Game 4*: Dodgers at Braves/Phillies, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6 p.m. (FS1)
Game 5*: Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 9, 8 p.m. (Fox)
‘A cool ride’: Justin Crawford enjoying his postseason debut
Justin Crawford bunts during Game 2 against the Braves.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — Justin Crawford’s father, Carl, was six years into his career before he got his first taste of postseason baseball.
Carl Crawford debuted for Tampa Bay in 2002, but didn’t play his first game in October until 2008. Fans of his son’s team know well how that story ended: with the Phillies beating the Rays in five games in the World Series, and a parade down Broad Street.
Justin, 23, didn’t have to wait nearly that long. His first experience in the postseason is coming in his rookie year. He started in Wednesday’s Game 2 and is also in the lineup against Atlanta for Game 3, batting ninth and playing center field.
“It’s been really cool,” Crawford said. “At the end of the day, I’ve kind of had to remind myself it’s still baseball. The game stays the same. So go out there, compete, work your tail off, and leave it all out there on the field and see what happens. I would say the biggest thing was definitely the adrenaline, and just the adrenaline factor and seeing how much that kind of played. But it was a really cool feeling to be out there and competing.”
He’s also been enjoying sharing the experience with some of the other rookies on the team. Alex McFarlane and Andrew Painter both played key roles in relief in Wednesday’s Game 2 victory, with McFarlane getting a big out to end the seventh and Painter pitching the final three innings to earn the win.
“Obviously, all three of us came up playing with each other,” Crawford said. “And especially me and Alex, we were drafted the same year and really have played with each and every level with each other. It’s really cool being able to go out there and compete with those guys, and being able to enjoy the moment with them as well. It’s really fun to be able to go out there and just contribute anyway we can. It’s been a cool ride.”
Phillies first baseman Alec Bohm works with interim manager Don Mattingly ahead of Game 3 at Truist Park in Atlanta. Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhillies shortstop Trea Turner fields during warmups. Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEdmundo Sosa will start Game 3 at third base after suffering a groin injury Wednesday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
// Timestamp 10/01/26 7:08pm
Mattingly: ‘All hands on deck’ for Game 3
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — A couple of hours before game time, Phillies manager Don Mattingly and Braves counterpart Walt Weiss both used the same phrase when addressing questions about the availability of certain pitchers in Thursday night’s decisive Game 3.
“I’d say all hands on deck today,” Mattingly said when asked if Zack Wheeler will be available in the bullpen on three days’ rest.
It’s a somewhat ironic choice of words for Mattingly, given the number of Phillies relievers he seems determined to avoid using.
The point stands, though. Aaron Nola will start the Phillies off. From there, everything will be depend on the score and the situation. If the Phillies need Zack Wheeler or even Game 1 starter Jesus Luzardo to throw, I wouldn’t expect Mattingly to hesitate.
Duran’s availability will be a game-time decision; Sosa won’t be 100%
Phillies closer Jhoan Duran will test his arm before deciding if he can pitch in Game 3.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — Jhoan Duran’s availability to pitch in the Phillies’ win-or-go-home Game 3 of the wild-card series will be determined in the same way that it was for Game 2.
Duran will play catch and report back on how he feels.
“I’m expecting him to be good,” interim manager Don Mattingly said here Thursday in a pregame meeting with reporters.
But Mattingly was hopeful of getting a thumbs-up from the star closer and the medical staff before Game 2, too. Instead, Duran wasn’t ready to pitch after throwing 27 pitches over two innings and giving up a go-ahead three-run homer to Austin RIley in a 5-3 loss in Game 1.
Mattingly clarified that Duran wasn’t injured but rather sore after the heavier-than-usual workload in Game 1. It marked only the second time all season that the Phillies called on Duran to get more than three outs in a game.
“It was a couple of different factors, without having to go into all of them,” Mattingly said. “But mainly just he was beat up, arm-wise. Because he pitched the last game [of the regular season], too.”
Meanwhile, infielder Edmundo Sosa went through an early workout to test his injured groin. He passed the test and will be in the lineup, although Mattingly noted Sosa won’t be able to run full speed.
All-Star Brandon Marsh starting an elimination game on the bench
Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh isn’t starting Game 3 even though lefty Ray Kerr is only expected to pitch a few innings.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — Remember when Brandon Marsh started in right field for the National League in the All-Star Game?
Three months later, he isn’t in the Phillies’ lineup for an elimination game.
Amid a deep second-half slump, Marsh fell into a platoon in which he typically starts only against right-handed pitchers. But he will begin Game 3 of the wild-card series on the bench here Thursday night, even though Braves lefty Ray Kerr is an opener and expected to pitch only a few innings.
Instead, the Phillies went with righty-hitting Bryan De La Cruz in left field.
“I think De La’s better equipped either way [vs. lefties or righties],” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “And then I’m able to, kind of the way we’re set up, we’re able to pinch hit where we need to pinch hit and give us some sort of leverage.”
It was telling, though, that Mattingly stuck with lefty-hitting Justin Crawford in center field against Kerr. Derek Hill, a right-handed hitter who splits time with Crawford, will be on the bench.
Marsh batted .319/.352/.530 with 15 homers through July 1. After that, he batted .177/.241/.241 with three homers. He came off the bench and got a hit in the ninth inning of Game 1 against the Braves before starting and going 1-for-3 in Game 2.
Edmundo Sosa is back in the Phillies lineup a day after leaving the game early win an injury.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Phillies are trotting out a very similar lineup to Game 2, especially at the top. The first five spots remain unchanged. Bryan De La Cruz replaces Brandon Marsh in the sixth spot with lefty Ray Kerr starting. The only other change from the last game is J.T. Realmuto and Justin Crawford swapping spots at the bottom of the order.
That also means that Edmundo Sosa, who came up limping after trying to beat out a ground ball in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s win and had to leave the game, is back in the lineup for the Phillies. He’ll bat seventh.
Trea Turner (R) SS
Kyle Schwarber (L) DH
Bryce Harper (L) RF
Alec Bohm (R) 1B
Bryson Stott (L) 2B
Bryan De La Cruz (R) LF
Edmundo Sosa (R) 3B
J.T. Realmuto (R) C
Justin Crawford (L) CF
Meanwhile, the Braves have changes up and down the lineup against righty Aaron Nola after facing lefties in Games 1 and 2.
Now the Phils have every advantage to become just the fourth team in the new postseason format to win a wild-card series after dropping Game 1.
The key to winning this series was forcing a third game as Atlanta entered the playoffs unsure who would be its third starter. They’ll use Ray Kerr, a reliever who returned in August from Tommy John surgery, as an opener likely followed by Grant Holmes as a bulk reliever.
Now that they’ve reached a decisive Game 3, the Phillies know what they need from their pitchers.
Nola needs to … do what he did last year against the Dodgers in an elimination game. He pitched two innings, navigating one turn through the L.A. lineup in Game 3 of the National League Division Series before passing it to Ranger Suárez. Nola and Suárez combined for one run over seven innings. The plan was then to use Duran for six outs but that wasn’t necessary as the Phils took a seven-run lead in the eighth. The Phils will ask more from Nola than two innings but the task will be the same: Keep it close and get the ball to Wheeler.
Wheeler needs to … do what he always does. The Phillies looked ready to collapse last week until you saw that Wheeler was starting Game 162 and the Phillies just needed a win. Did anyone doubt Wheeler? He threw 97 pitches on Sunday so he’ll be pitching in Game 3 on three days’ rest. How many innings can the Phils expect from him? Two or three would be ideal. If Nola goes four or five and Wheeler gets you to the seventh, then Duran can take it from there.
Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber reacts after hitting a solo homer in the eighth inning against the Braves.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Phillies’ Game 2 win over the Braves was a lot of different things.
It was playoff baseball at its finest, not to mention its most hazardous to a fan’s cardiac health. It was a showcase: of the razor-thin margins that will determine which of these two teams advances, and of the strengths that once again have the Phillies on the verge of an NLDS berth.
Mostly, though, Game 2 was a story. First, of failure. Then, of overcoming it.
Whether the story endures is a question that will be decided on Thursday in a decisive Game 3. The winner will move on to face the Dodgers in a best-of-five series. The loser will move on to face the haunting what-ifs of an early offseason.
But if momentum is real, and if adversity is a buoy, the Phillies have to like their chances, whatever the odds say. There’s also some history. Once upon a time, this Phillies team had a mojo that forced you to believe, regardless of circumstance, that they would overcome.
“It’s in our DNA,” Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber said. “We’re not going to quit.”
Hayes: Grant Alec Bohm’s wish to be a Phillie for life
Alec Bohm celebrates after hitting a 10th-inning solo home run to lift the Phillies over the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of their National League wild-card series.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — Alec Bohm sat behind a microphone for what could have been the last time as a Phillie on Wednesday morning, and he reflected on his 6½ seasons in the majors as a Phillie, supporting rosters dotted with future Hall of Famers. He will be a free agent this winter, and his inconsistent play combined with his occasional truculence have led to assumptions that he will be moving on.
Then, five hours later, Bohm, hitting in the No. 4 spot, rocked the winning home run in the 10th inning of Game 2 of the wild-card series against the Braves. The Phillies took a 4-3 lead, which held up in the bottom of the inning as rookie Andrew Painter dealt the third of his three scoreless innings, and the season was saved.
With it, Bohm might have saved his future in Philadelphia and erased some of the less jubilant moments of his past.
The Phillies have tried to platoon him, they’ve benched him in the playoffs, they’ve shoved him from the cleanup spot to the bottom of the order, and they’ve put him on the trading block so often he might as well have been a bale of beaver pelts in the Old West. He never much cared, it seemed, until now.
Once a Philly hater, he now desperately wants to be a Phillie for life.
“I would love nothing more than to stay,” he said afterward. “I mean, if you think about it, like, not that often does a guy get to play his whole career in one place.”
Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola will start Game 3 against the Braves, and will have some support out of the bullpen.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — Facing their third elimination game in five days, the Phillies will hand the ball to their longest-tenured player.
Aaron Nola will start Thursday night in Game 3 of the best-of-three wild-card series, according to a major league source. The Phillies had not yet announced a starter.
Nola will be on full rest four days after starting on only two days’ rest and lasting only one inning in a desperate gambit to clinch a playoff spot last Saturday night. But the Phillies will take an “all hands on deck” approach to their pitching plan, interim manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday.
Zack Wheeler is expected to be available out of the bullpen on three days’ rest. It’s possible the Phillies could approach the game similar to Game 3 of the division series last year in Los Angeles, when Nola faced eight batters in two innings before yielding to fellow starter Ranger Suárez.
Nola has made 41 career starts against the Braves, posting a 3.71 ERA in 252⅓ innings. In three starts this season, he has a 4.50 ERA, with the Braves batting .250 with a .500 slugging percentage.
In the postseason, Nola has twice faced the Braves in a series that was tied at one game apiece. He allowed one unearned run in six innings against the Braves in Game 3 of the 2022 NL division series and two runs in 5⅔ innings in Game 3 of the same round in 2023. The Phillies won both games — and both series.
The Braves are turning to lefty Ray Kerr to start Game 3.Gene J. Puskar
The Atlanta Braves are turning to lefty Ray Kerr as their Game 3 starter.
Kerr, a reliever who returned in August from Tommy John surgery, as an opener likely followed by Grant Holmes as a bulk reliever.
And we thought Don Mattingly’s options were limited this postseason.
Kerr throws in the mid-90s and faced the Phillies twice in September, holding them scoreless over 6⅓ innings in relief in a pair of games the Phils won. Holmes is a middle-of-the rotation starter with a low-90s fastball who blanked the Phillies for six innings in a 1-0 Phils victory on Sept. 7.
Kerr and Holmes handled the Phillies in September. But then again, who didn’t?
The toughest game of the series was always going to be Game 1 against Chris Sale, and the Phillies nearly won. The level of difficultly eased up in Game 2 against Tyler Mahle. The Phillies won that. The key to winning this series was always if the Phils could force a third game, knowing Atlanta could not match their starters. The Phillies got to Game 3. There’s no excuse not to finish the job.
Braves manager Walt Weiss runs on the field before Game 1.Brynn Anderson
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly was picked apart after Game 1, so how about the Braves not using Robert Suarez in Game 2?
Suarez returned from the injured list in September and pitched twice in the season’s final week before being added to the postseason roster. He was lights out as Atlanta’s setup man before injuring his elbow in June and his velocity last week was about where it was preinjury.
So how does Suarez — who the Braves signed before the season to a three-year contract worth $45 million — not get used in Game 2?
The Braves played matchups in the eighth and got burned by left-hander Dylan Lee giving up back-to-back left-on-left homers to Harper and Kyle Schwarber. Suarez, a right-hander, had better numbers this year against lefties than righties. That could’ve been his spot.
In the 10th, Bohm homered against Didier Fuentes, who pitched for a second straight day after giving up a two-run triple in Game 1 to J.T. Realmuto. That could’ve been Suarez, too.
The winner of the Phillies-Braves series will move on to face Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The winner of Game 3 between the Phillies and Atlanta Braves will punch a ticket to the National League divisional series to face the No. 2 seed Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Phillies went 2-4 against the defending World Series champs this season, though the last time the two teams faced off was way back in July. It would also be a replay of last year’s NLDS, which the Dodgers handily won 3-1.
Here is the NLDS schedule:
Game 1: Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Saturday, Oct. 3, 4 p.m. (FS1)
Game 2: Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 4, 8 p.m. (FS1)
Game 3: Dodgers at Braves/Phillies, Tuesday, Oct. 6, TBD
Game 4*: Dodgers at Braves/Phillies, Wednesday, Oct. 7, TBD
Game 5*: Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 9, TBD
Phillies-Braves Game 3: Start time, how to watch and stream
NBC wild-card announcers (from left) C.J. Nitkowski, John Kruk, and Matt Vasgersian.NBC Sports
The Phillies face the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of their National League wild-card series Thursday night. The winner moves on to the National League divisional series, the loser’s season is over, and everyone will have to stay up late.
With the three other wild-card series already decided, first pitch of Game 3 between the Phillies and Braves Thursday night is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.
NBC will once again broadcast the game, with John Kruk in the booth alongside play-by-play announcer Matt Vasgersian and fellow analyst C.J. Nitkowski. Joey Votto is back as the on-field analyst, while Ashley ShahAhmadi will report from Truist Park.
Fans can also stream the game on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service. But if you live in and around Philadelphia, you can stream the game for free using a digital antenna, since it’s being broadcast on NBC.
94.1 WIP will broadcast the game on radio, with Scott Franzke and Kevin Stocker on the call.
NBC Sports Philadelphia will offer pre- and postgame coverage, featuring Michael Barkann, Ricky Bottalico, Ben Davis, and former Phillies general manager turned broadcaster Rubén Amaro Jr.
After suffering their first loss of the season, the Eagles (2-1) look to bounce back in Week 4 as they host the Los Angeles Rams (1-2) at Lincoln Financial Field. As both teams prepare to meet, here’s a look at updated game odds and some interesting prop bets from two of the biggest sportsbooks:
Eagles vs. Rams updated odds
Both teams are heading into Sunday with something to prove. The Rams are coming off a 30-26 loss to the Denver Broncos after blowing a 16-0 halftime lead. And the Eagles struggled against the Chicago Bears and third-string quarterback Case Keenum in a 27-7 loss.
Entering the week, the FanDuel and DraftKings have the Eagles as three-point underdogs at home.
Hurts threw for over 200 passing yards in Weeks 1 and 2, with 203 yards against the Washington Commanders and 264 yards against the Tennessee Titans. But during Monday’s game against the Bears, he was limited to 153 passing yards.
Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford is coming off a game in which he threw for 390 yards — making it the second time he has eclipsed 300 passing yards this season, after a 327-yard game against the New York Giants in Week 2.
Over the last three weeks, Hurts has thrown for five touchdowns — three in Week 1 and two in Week 2. However, he recorded zero passing touchdowns vs. the Bears.
Stafford has thrown for six touchdowns in three weeks, including two passing touchdowns in Week 3 against the Broncos.
In last week’s meeting with the Bears, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley led the team in rushing with 82 yards. Meanwhile, Kyren Williams led the Rams in rushing with 88 yards.
DeVonta Smith led the team in receiving yards in the last two weeks, recording 65 yards in the Birds’ loss to the Bears and 117 yards in their win over the Titans.
Meanwhile, Rams receiver Davante Adams has led the team in receiving yards for the last two weeks in the absence of Puka Nacua, who was out because of groin and hip injuries. The receiver is expected to play on Sunday.
The Phillies have Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler lined up Thursday to face the Braves in Game 3, a game that seemed unlikely to be played when Bryce Harper lost that fly ball in the afternoon sun. But we know what happened next. Atta’ boy, Harper.
Now the Phils have every advantage to become just the fourth team in the new postseason format to win a wild-card series after dropping Game 1.
The key to winning this series was forcing a third game as Atlanta entered the playoffs unsure who would be its third starter. They’ll use Ray Kerr, a reliever who returned in August from Tommy John surgery, as an opener likely followed by Grant Holmes as a bulk reliever.
And we thought Don Mattingly’s options were limited this postseason.
Credit Cristopher Sánchez and Andrew Painter for the heavy lifting in Game 2 on Wednesday. They were excellent and allowed the Phils to enter Game 3 with Nola and Wheeler, two pitchers who have met the moment more often than not in this Phillies era.
Jhoan Duran didn’t pitch in Game 2 so he’ll be ready on Thursday. Mattingly said it’s “all hands on deck” but the Phillies would love to just use three.
After throwing 27 pitches in a two-inning appearance in Game 1, closer Jhoan Duran should be available for Game 3.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Earl Weaver famously said momentum in baseball is the next day’s starting pitcher. The Phillies left Game 2 with plenty of momentum after punching back with three homers and now they’ll enter Game 3 on the same ride as the Braves scramble to find a pitcher.
Kerr throws in the mid-90s and faced the Phillies twice in September, holding them scoreless over 6⅓ innings in relief in a pair of games the Phils won. Holmes is a middle-of-the rotation starter with a low-90s fastball who blanked the Phillies for six innings in a 1-0 Phils victory on Sept. 7. Kerr and Holmes handled the Phillies in September. But then again, who didn’t?
The toughest game of the series was always going to be Game 1 against Chris Sale, and the Phillies nearly won. The level of difficultly eased up in Game 2 against Tyler Mahle. The Phillies won that. The key to winning this series was always the Phils forcing a third game, knowing Atlanta could not match their starters. The Phillies got to Game 3. There’s no excuse not to finish the job.
Nola needs to …
Do what he did last year against the Dodgers in an elimination game. He pitched two innings, navigating one turn through the L.A. lineup in Game 3 of the National League Division Series before passing it to Ranger Suárez. Nola and Suárez combined for one run over seven innings. The plan was then to use Duran for six outs but that wasn’t necessary as the Phils took a seven-run lead in the eighth. The Phils will ask more from Nola than two innings but the task will be the same: Keep it close and get the ball to Wheeler.
Do what he always does. The Phillies looked ready to collapse last week until you saw that Wheeler was starting Game 162 and the Phillies just needed a win. Did anyone doubt Wheeler? He threw 97 pitches on Sunday so he’ll be pitching in Game 3 on three days’ rest. How many innings can the Phils expect from him? Two or three would be ideal. If Nola goes four or five and Wheeler gets you to the seventh, then Duran can take it from there.
Rookie Andrew Painter pitched three shutout innings to close out the Braves in Game 2.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
I’m still thinking about …
… Painter starting his postseason debut by throwing six straight balls before pitching three scoreless innings for the win. The biggest positive to come out of this season has been Painter since he returned from triple A. He didn’t look ready for the moment in the first half of the season just like he didn’t look ready for it on Wednesday. But he finished the regular season with a 3.65 ERA in 11 starts. He recovered, just like he did on Wednesday. It’s too early to think about 2027 but at least the Phillies know they can factor Painter into their plans. That wasn’t a guarantee in June.
… how about the Braves not using Robert Suarez in Game 2? Suarez returned from the injured list in September and pitched twice in the season’s final week before being added to the postseason roster. He was lights out as Atlanta’s setup man before injuring his elbow in June and his velocity last week was about where it was preinjury. So how does Suarez — who the Braves signed before the season to a three-year contract worth $45 million — not get used in Game 2?
The Braves played matchups in the eighth and got burned by left-hander Dylan Lee giving up back-to-back left-on-left homers to Harper and Kyle Schwarber. Suarez, a right-hander, had better numbers this year against lefties than righties. That could’ve been his spot. In the 10th, Bohm homered against Didier Fuentes, who pitched for a second straight day after giving up a two-run triple in Game 1 to J.T. Realmuto. That could’ve been Suarez, too. The Phils will take it.
Jesús Luzardo gave the Phillies five strong innings in Game 1.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
If the Phillies win …
Game 1 of the NLDS will be Saturday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers and the Phils would be happy to have to figure out their pitching plan. Jesús Luzardo would be on three days’ rest but would the Phils push him so soon after returning from the injured list? Painter would be on two days’ rest after throwing 37 pitches in relief. Can he go on Saturday?
It’ll be interesting to see how the Phils handle Game 1. One guess: They use Painter as an opener and hope he can give them three innings. Then they lean on the bullpen and try to steal a game. That allows Luzardo to be on regular rest in Sunday’s Game 2 and Wheeler to start Tuesday’s Game 3 on regular rest in Philly. First, they have to win Thursday.
It was a blowout, and it left a lot of questions. The Eagles’ 27-7 loss to the Bears Monday night at Soldier Field featured an offense that fizzled, a defense that folded, and a coaching staff that looked outmatched. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Jeff Neiburg provide a postmortem of the defense’s disappointing start to the season, critique of offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s approach, and assessment of how some of general manager Howie Roseman’s moves have panned out so far.
00:00 The defense has been a major disappointment
16:12 Sean Mannion’s offense has yet to impress
34:17 Scrutinizing Howie Roseman’s roster construction
unCovering the Birds is a co-production of KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts and The Philadelphia Inquirer, hosted by award-winning Inquirer reporter Jeff McLane. Look for new episodes throughout the season.
We’re always looking for mailbag questions! Hit Jeff up on his socials, or drop a question in the comments. Jeff could answer it in a future episode!
Penn State coach Matt Campbell and his senior leaders knew they needed to do something after losing to Wisconsin to get the team on the same page.
The solution? A players-only meeting on Monday. No coaches — just teammates hearing each other out and bonding in the face of adversity.
“Having those player meetings is huge for us because it does bring us closer together,” quarterback Rocco Becht said on Tuesday. “It does [help us] find out about one another, and we just got to continue the grind and move on.”
Becht is one of the key leaders for Penn State, as the redshirt senior has been named a captain for each game this season. He rallied the team together at Temple, and took accountability in the locker room after the loss to Wisconsin.
So it’s no surprise Becht was one of the players to speak during the meeting.
“He played a big role,” offensive lineman Trevor Buhr said. “I think overall, we were just kind of making sure we were all on the same page, kind of going over what we had to do, what our goals are getting ready for this week, just making sure everyone’s on the same page.”
Becht said they don’t have regularly scheduled player meetings, but it’s also not the first time the team has met separately. These gatherings come around when the Nittany Lions “feel like it needs to happen,” according to Becht.
But being on the same page means something different to everyone. For defensive tackle Keanu Williams, it means understanding how everyone is feeling, not necessarily having the whole team agreeing on one idea.
Penn State running back James Peoples said the team “can’t get stuck in the past.”Craig Houtz / For The Inquirer
“It comes into play in the sense of whatever the problems we’re having, lay it on the table, and we all kind of got to sit here and just talk it out,” Williams said. “Whatever it is we need to talk out, whatever problems we’re having, we need to sit there and be on the same page with that. That’s what I really mean by getting on the same page.”
The players meeting is one example of how Penn State has made an effort as a team to move past the unexpected loss. Running back James Peoples said in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s collapse, everyone handled it differently.
“You don’t want that, what happened last Saturday,” Peoples said. “You don’t want that outcome, but we understand there’s still a lot more ahead of us. So you got to be looking down the line and seeing what you got in front of you to understand, ‘OK, we can’t get stuck in the past.’”
Starting right tackle Anthony Donkoh, a Penn State returnee, knows what it feels like to have a loss that snowballs into more after last year’s collapse. He doesn’t want that happening this year, but he feels confident moving forward because of how the players have rebounded emotionally.
“I feel like a lot of the guys handled it well this time around,” Donkoh said. “I feel like there’s a lot more emotions last year, and you just felt like a big negative shift, like after a game sometimes.
“But then like after this loss, everybody is still in good spirits. Like we know that we still have a lot of the season ahead of us. We know that if we just keep our head down and keep working every day, then we’re able to get ourselves out of the situation that we’re in.”
The roars — at the start — seemed to roll on from that spring day in May when the Flyers’ season ended. The fan appreciation felt as they left the ice following a sweeping loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes was still palpable, especially when coach Rick Tocchet and players like Denver Barkey (who is injured), Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, Trevor Zegras, and Dan Vladař were introduced.
But that, and a thundering open-ice defensive-zone hit by Rasmus Ristolainen early on, were about the only times the hometown faithful were happy, as the Flyers were thumped 7-0 by the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins. Almost like whiplash, the cheers quickly turned to boos.
“It’s the first game. If this is going to be happening in a steady [way], it’s not a place you want to be around,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “I think the fans, obviously they hate losing to the Penguins [but] I just thought when you get a battle, and the fans pay good money, that’s what they’re mad about. We didn’t come up with any loose pucks.”
“I don’t know. You [the media] saw it. I honestly don’t have an answer,” he said. “I don’t know if we won a battle tonight. When you go win battles, they have the puck. They outcoached us tonight. They outplayed us. They did everything better.”
The Flyers ended the Penguins’ season last year on Cam York’s overtime winner in Game 6. Pittsburgh played like a group looking for revenge and handed the Flyers a loss so lopsided it equaled the worst opening-night dud in the team’s history. The Flyers also lost 7-0 to the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 21, 1971, at The Spectrum.
“We got to wake up. Last exhibition game [a 5-1 loss to a young Washington Capitals group] we played was the same way, and everyone’s like, ‘Oh, it’s training camp, we’re going to ease our way into the season, but we got to wake up here,” captain Sean Couturier said.
The Penguins buzzed the Flyers from the start and didn’t let up all night.Matt Slocum
“I mean, there’s no panic. Nothing. But I just think we’ve got to realize that we’re not that good. What happened last year is last year, and you’ve got to move on, and it’s a fresh year.”
The Flyers were a mess at both ends of the ice Wednesday. Although the roster from last year largely remains intact — Noel Acciari and Simon Benoit made their debuts — the players were disconnected when passing the puck in the Penguins’ end and, in turn, in their defensive structure. The Flyers often allowed Pittsburgh to breeze through the middle, drive to the net untouched, and pile 38 shots on goal compared to their 19.
As a team, they had 21 giveaways to the Penguins’ 11, with veteran blueliner Travis Sanheim and rookie winger Martone leading the way with four each.
Martone did not play the final 4 minutes, 21 seconds of the first period after he was part of a bad line change that led to Ville Koivunen’s goal that made it 2-0. Koivunen received a stretch pass from Sam Girard, got behind the Orange and Black’s defense, and out-deked Vladař to score five-hole.
Ville Koivunen gives the Penguins a two-goal lead in the first!
The teenager was then demoted to the fourth line halfway through the second period as Tocchet started shuffling lines, with every other right winger moving up a spot, including Michkov moving to the second line to skate with Tyson Foerster and Christian Dvorak.
But it didn’t matter who was with who. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers did not put a single high-danger shot on Penguins goalie Artūrs Šilovs at five-on-five. Vladař faced 12. This easily translates to: the Flyers did not drive to the net, and they let the Penguins swarm theirs.
“We shot ourselves in the foot on a couple of them,” said Sanheim, who was on for two goals against. “We gave them probably half their goals.”
Nick Robertson quieted the crowd less than 8 minutes into the opening frame with his first as a Penguin, scoring on a nifty redirect of a pass by Kris Letang near the right post. Crosby got the secondary assist, and the crowd, of course, booed mercilessly as he registered his 140th point against the Flyers, the most in NHL history.
Evgeni Malkin made it 3-0 on a give-and-go with Hendrix Lapierre during a Penguins power play. The future Hall of Famer passed the puck to Lapierre at the left flank and rotated down from the point into the bumper, opening up his body for the quick strike.
Lapierre added his own tally 2:23 later, scooping up the puck in the neutral zone, catching Carl Grundström flat-footed as he blew past him, and scoring short-side on a late-developing two-on-one. Filip Hållander then made it a handful of goals with just his second career marker, scoring on his second swipe atop the crease as everyone crashed down.
In the third period, Robertson added a sixth during a Flyers power play when his missed shot went off the end boards, off Vladař’s skate, and in. Finally, Egor Chinakhov wrapped up the scoring with a power-play tip-in off of a shot from Erik Karlsson.
And to compound things, although it is expected these days, a Flyers power play that ranked dead last last season (15.7%) and tied for the fourth-most short-handed goals allowed has picked up right where it left off. According to Natural Stat Trick, the man advantage had 13 shot attempts, six shots on goal, and six scoring chances. It still went 0-for-3, allowed two scoring chances, and that goal.
Rick Tocchet called a lot of what he saw Wednesday “alarming.”Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“If we won 7-0, I’d say the same thing: It’s a long year. We can’t get too high. We can’t get too low. So you have to have that approach, but there’s alarming things,” Tocchet said. “We obviously didn’t want to battle. We had a lot … snowblowers. It was a couple of plays [where] we don’t go through people. We don’t have to kill them, but you can’t play this game if you don’t win battles.
“I don’t know if guys are reading the press clippings. I don’t know. But it wasn’t good, even the last two exhibition games, the same thing. We play like this tomorrow with a team like Jersey; it’s going to be worse. So we’ve got to be careful.”
Alex Bump and Nick Seeler were the only two players who were not on the ice for a goal against. … Owen Tippett led the team with seven shot attempts, including four shots on goal, and six hits. Michkov had five shot attempts, with one needing to be saved by Šilovs. … Konecny had the best Flyers chance of the night, tipping in a pass from Tippett as he stood atop the crease on a power play. … Benoit got drilled by Robertson from behind in the second period but the Penguin was only given a minor. … Malkin became the sixth player in NHL history to notch 100 or more points against the Flyers, joining Crosby (140), Mario Lemieux (124), Jaromír Jágr (120), Bryan Trottier (117), and Wayne Gretzky (100).
Up next
The Flyers get right back to action on Thursday, taking on the Devils in New Jersey (7 p.m., ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+).
The Flyers and their fans had precious little to cheer about in Wednesday’s season opener.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — The first six pitches from Andrew Painter missed the zone.
They weren’t particularly close, either. The Braves hitters left their bats on their shoulders. The home fans at Truist Park could smell blood in the water.
Painter was nervous. He said as much afterward. Game 2 of the wild-card series Wednesday was deadlocked at 3 in the eighth inning, and one pitch could mean the difference between their season extending another day or the Phillies packing their bags that night. And it was entirely on the rookie’s shoulders, in his postseason debut, in his first career late-inning relief appearance.
After the sixth straight ball — a 99.5 mph fastball inside to Michael Harris II — J.T. Realmuto stood from his crouch. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham started toward the mound. They told Painter to trust himself. To attack.
“Just me and you,” Realmuto told him. “Let’s go get him.”
And that’s what Painter did, in the Phillies’ 4-3 win over Atlanta that forced a deciding Game 3 on Thursday. He attacked Harris with a fastball in the zone, and then got him to ground into a double play with a changeup.
From there, the 23-year-old pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth to force extra innings, and returned to close it out after the Phillies at last took the lead in the 10th on a go-ahead home run from Alec Bohm.
Andrew Painter had three strikeouts over three scoreless innings to earn the win in his first playoff appearance on Wednesday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“I was trying to be super aggressive and go down with my best stuff,” Painter said. “Knowing the situation we were in there and backs against the wall a little bit, just stepping on the gas there and just giving it everything I had in that moment.”
Painter’s gutsy performance was one of several in the Phillies’ chaotic victory to stave off elimination. Cristopher Sánchez threw a career-high 116 pitches. The Braves made him work, drawing five walks (two intentional). But he limited the damage to one run over the first six innings, as he remained locked in a duel with Atlanta starter Tyler Mahle.
“A lot of adrenaline going out there,” Sánchez said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “No tomorrow for us, today. … Just tried to give the best of myself out there on the mound, and a lot of energy.”
But it seemed like it wouldn’t be enough. After Sánchez returned for the seventh, he allowed a leadoff walk to Sean Murphy, and Bohm failed to get an out on a sacrifice bunt from nine-hole hitter Ha-Seong Kim.
Sánchez fought off one threat by striking out Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr. And then disaster struck in the outfield.
Bryce Harper had moved back to right field at the trade deadline in a switch he and the Phillies thought might give them the best chance to win in October. He did it to open a spot at second for new acquisition Luis Arraez, who is not even on the wild-card roster due to an ankle sprain. But Harper has remained out there anyway.
Cristopher Sánchez allowed three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings on a season-high 116 pitches against the Braves in Game 2. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
When he misread a fly ball from Drake Baldwin in the seventh, it appeared the Phillies’ season might end for the second straight year because of a defensive miscue. But instead of a young reliever who cratered under pressure on a soft grounder back to the mound, it was the Phillies’ biggest star.
Harper broke in at first, then drifted back, then tried to jump at the last moment. But the ball was over his head, and went toward the wall for a double. The inning suddenly spiraled into a 3-1 Atlanta lead. Sánchez was lifted with two outs for rookie Alex McFarlane, who came through to stop the bleeding with runners on the corners.
In the dugout afterward, Sánchez approached Harper.
“I told him he was bound to have a great moment,” Sánchez said.
Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper misplays a ball hit by the Braves’ Drake Baldwin that scored the go-ahead run for Atlanta in the seventh inning of Game 2 on Wednesday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
As both Phillies and Braves fans jeered at him for the mistake, Harper said he thought about what he might say to his 7-year-old son, Krew, if this had happened to him. Harper was due up in the top of the next inning after Kyle Schwarber, and from the on-deck circle, watched as Schwarber sent a slider from lefty Dylan Lee 447 feet.
And then Harper did the same.
“I wasn’t not trying to hit a homer, I can tell you that,” Harper said.
The Braves outfielders didn’t move a muscle either time; they didn’t even turn around to watch them go. Silence settled over the stadium, which had been raucous just moments before, as the Phillies’ biggest bats tied it 3-3 and resuscitated the season.
The Phillies’ Bryce Harper hits a solo homer in the eighth inning to tie the game at 3.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
In the visitors’ clubhouse, Sánchez watched the homers on television and started slamming his hands on everything within reach in excitement.
“It’s easy to beat yourself up,” Schwarber said. “I’ve been there plenty of times. So to not beat yourself up, look forward to that next pitch on defense, and then get right back into the box and be in tune to your bat. That’s what it’s all about. He was able to do that.”
From there, it was all Painter’s game. Closer Jhoan Duran was unavailable. The Phillies were going to live or die with the rookie.
“I didn’t think I was going to be closing a game in the playoffs,” Painter said, “but I think I’m capable of a lot.”
In the ninth, Edmundo Sosa hit a leadoff single but was removed with a leg injury after running to first. Sosa said afterward he tweaked a muscle in his upper thigh, and that he was hopeful he would be available Thursday.
After Bohm’s go-ahead homer off Didier Fuentes in the 10th, the Braves advanced the winning run to first on a pair of singles in the 10th. But Painter took a breath. He went back to the rosin bag. And then he attacked again.
Philadelphia Phillies Trea Turner doubles against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Trea Turner celebrates in the dugout after scoring in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Bryce Harper hits a RBI single in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez throws in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez throws in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerAtlanta Braves pitcher Tyler Mahle throws against the Philadelphia Phillies in game 2.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford singles in the fourth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham (right) talks with Cristopher Sanchez with the bases loaded for the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez reacts after getting out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (right) looks on as Atlanta Braves Sean Murphy was safe at second in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Bryce Harper couldn’t catch a ball off the bat of Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin in the seventh inning of game 2 of the National League Wild Card series in Atlanta, Ga. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (right) prepares to exit the game after the Atlanta Braves scored two runs in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Bryce Harper pauses in right field during a pitching change in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits a solo homer in the eighth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Bryce Harper hits a solo homer in the eighth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Edmundo Sosa leaves the game in the ninth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner drops his bat and helmet after popping up for the third out in the ninth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm celebrates his solo homer in the tenth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Andrew Painter pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the tenth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto celebrates their win.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm celebrates his solo homer in the tenth inning against the Atlanta Braves in game 2 of the National League Wild Card series in Atlanta, Ga. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. Phillies win 4-3.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
He went right after pinch-hitter Dominic Smith, getting two swings on his changeup. Smith watched the third pitch, a four-seam, go by for a ball, but Realmuto successfully challenged the call for a game-ending strikeout.
“That’s a career-altering performance, in my opinion,” said Realmuto.
Jesús Luzardo agrees. He entered in the 10th inning of Game 4 last season on short rest to try and extend the Phillies’ season another day against the Dodgers. But he wasn’t a rookie. He wasn’t making his postseason debut. And he didn’t have the year that Painter had.
“I always knew he had it in him,” Luzardo said. “But it was nice to see him flourish, and show everyone that he has that dog inside him.”
Phillies rookie pitcher Andrew Painter celebrates with his teammates after he pitched the final three innings to beat the Braves in Game 2 on Wednesday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Luzardo said he reminded Painter to stay calm, not to get too worked up. But he didn’t want to overwhelm him with advice. He knew he didn’t really need it.
The two pitchers are both from South Florida and have been friends for years, even before the trade that brought Luzardo to the Phillies organization. They were in touch last season, as Painter languished in triple A, still searching for his command after Tommy John surgery.
With both starting the season in the Phillies’ starting rotation, Luzardo had a front-row seat to Painter’s early struggles and how he worked his way back. As the Phillies’ top prospect, Painter entered the year with sky-high expectations that he had trouble meeting at first. Painter was sent back to triple A for over a month to address his fastball command, and returned in July, armed with better stuff and more confidence.
“Just to see the development that he’s had over the year, it’s been awesome,” Luzardo said.
When he was demoted, the Phillies told Painter it was not a situation where he would go down for a start or two, take a breather, and come back. Returning to the majors at all wasn’t a guarantee.
He had to earn it. He did. And almost exactly two months later, he saved the Phillies’ season. For one more day, at least.
“I think it does speak to him and who he is,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “Went down, went to work, came back. He’s been a different guy.”
