ATLANTA (AP) — Austin Riley hit a three-run homer off All-Star closer Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning and the Atlanta Braves rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 on Tuesday in the opener of a best-of-three National League Wild Card Series.
Duran (0-1), who allowed just two homers in 61 regular-season games, gave up a single to Michael Harris II before hitting Ozzie Albies with a pitch. Riley drove the go-ahead blast over the wall in right-center
field. Harris had three hits.
The Braves can clinch the series on Wednesday and end the Phillies’ history of postseason success in the NL East rivalry. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 1993 NLCS and the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.
Braves ace Chris Sale dueled early against Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who was sharp after missing time down the stretch with left shoulder inflammation. Luzardo was expected to make an abbreviated start, but he pitched one-run ball over five innings with 77 pitches.
Atlanta pounced when Philadelphia went to the bullpen — a common theme for the Phillies as they slumped into the postseason. Their relievers had a 5.79 ERA in September, worst in the majors.
Albies hit a tiebreaking triple off Alex McFarlane in the sixth for a 2-1 lead. Center fielder Derek Hill had an opportunity to make a leaping catch of Albies’ drive at the wall, but he appeared to jump too high. The ball hit Hill’s wrist below his glove.
J.T. Realmuto put Philadelphia ahead 3-2 with a two-run triple in the seventh inning — right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. bobbled the ball near the wall, but he wasn't charged with an error.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly handed the ball over to Duran in the seventh, perhaps hoping the 28-year-old had three innings in him to close things out. Duran made just one multi-inning appearance this season.
Sale gave up three runs as he faded in the seventh in his effort to deliver as the ace of Atlanta’s depleted rotation.
Sale hit Bryan De La Cruz with a pitch with one out in the seventh before giving up a single to Bryson Stott. Right-hander Didier Fuentes then gave up Realmuto’s two-run triple to the right-field corner.
Alec Bohm hit a high fastball from Sale for a run-scoring double over Harris in center in the first inning. Sale didn’t give up another hit until Edmundo Sosa doubled with two outs in the fifth.
Luzardo gave up three hits with six strikeouts. He pitched longer than many expected after throwing a scoreless eighth inning in Sunday’s 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays that clinched the wild-card berth.
Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for the save after Dylan Lee (1-0) threw a scoreless eighth.
The 37-year-old Sale threw a 100 mph fastball to Bryce Harper in the first inning. He joined Aroldis Chapman for Boston last season as the only pitchers 37 or older to throw a 100 mph pitch in the postseason since tracking began in 2008.
Braves RHP Tyler Mahle (7-10, 3.99 ERA) is expected to face Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (18-7, 2.91) in Wednesday’s second game of the series. Mahle was 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA in nine games with Atlanta.
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