Austin Riley’s late homer lifts Braves past Phillies for 5-3 win in Wild Card opener

Austin Riley’s three‑run homer in the eighth inning propelled the Atlanta Braves to a 5‑3 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park. The Braves trailed 3‑2 when Riley connected against Phillies reliever Jhoan Duran with two outs, sending a drive to right‑center after Michael Harris II singled and Ozzie Albies was hit by a pitch; Harris finished the game with three hits. Atlanta had tied the contest in the second inning when Mauricio Dubón doubled and later scored on Mike Yastrzemski’s RBI single. Ozzie Albies then gave the Braves a lead in the sixth with a triple that brought Harris home, but Philadelphia answered in the seventh. J.T. Realmuto’s two‑run triple off Atlanta rookie Didier Fuentes put the Phillies ahead 3‑2, following a single by Bryson Stott and a hit‑by‑pitch to Bryan De La Cruz. The Braves’ rally came after Chris Sale exited the game having allowed a hit and hit a batter, ending a strong postseason outing in which he struck out nine and held Philadelphia to one run over six innings. Phillies starter Jesúś Luzardo, returning from a shoulder issue, permitted one run and three hits while striking out six across five frames. The win gives Atlanta a 1‑0 series lead in the best‑of‑three Wild Card matchup, leaving the Braves one victory away from advancing to the National League Division Series. Game 2 is set for Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET in Atlanta; the Phillies must win to force a deciding Game 3. The series winner will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. *Editorial credit: Marcus E Jones / Shutterstock.com*