Phillies force Game 3 against Braves with comeback win; Schwarber, Harper with back-to-back bombs; live updates

We know the Phillies and Braves will face off in Game 3 Thursday. We just don't yet know when.

Under most scenarios, Game 3 will start at 2 p.m. Thursday on NBC, just like Games 1 and 2.

If the only remaining series are Phillies-Braves and White Sox-Astros, then Game 3 would start at 8 p.m. on NBC.

ATLANTA – Andrew Painter locked it down.

With a tap of his cap, Painter challenged the final pitch, got a called strike against Dominic Smith, and the Phillies celebrated a come-from-behind 4-3 victory to even their best-of-three wildcard series.

The season will come down to Game 3 on Thursday.

ATLANTA – If ever there was a time for a one-two punch, this was it.

Kyle Schwarber.

Bryce Harper.

ATLANTA – Bryce Harper froze.

With runners on first and second in the seventh inning of a tie game, Drake Baldwin hit a line drive to right field. Harper misjudged it, and by the time he began to retreat to the right-field wall, the ball went over his head.

Sean Murphy scored from second base with the go-ahead run before the Braves tacked on with a sacrifice fly to take a 3-1 lead and knock Cristopher Sanchez from the game.

ATLANTA — When the Phillies rearranged their infield after the trade deadline, Don Mattingly noted that Alec Bohm's move to first base was the least of his concerns.

"I've seen him enough at first," Mattingly said. "I felt he was really good at first."

Bohm might have saved the season in the sixth inning when he started a double play to get Cristopher Sanchez out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation.

ATLANTA — Cristopher Sánchez sidestepped a Braves rally in the fifth inning.

That was the good news for the Phillies.

But while Sánchez worked around a one-out double by Sean Murphy to strand the go-ahead run on second base — with an assist to catcher J.T. Realmuto — he also walked off the mound having thrown a total of 80 pitches.

ATLANTA — Don Mattingly said before today’s Game 2 that he expects to push Cristopher Sánchez deep into his start today, if he can.

“As long as he's throwing the ball good, getting outs,” Mattingly said. “I can't push him if he's giving up runs.”

So far, so good on that front. Sánchez gave up a first-inning run on a walk, two stolen bases, and a single, but he has not allowed another hit since to Atlanta. Through three innings, he has used 51 pitches, but he seems to be getting stronger and more dialed in with his location. In the third inning, Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. didn’t lift the bat off his shoulder once, striking out on three pitches and was visibly frustrated in the dugout afterward.

ATLANTA — For the second consecutive day, the Phillies jumped out to a first-inning lead against the Braves.

Trea Turner started off the game with a double, and scored on a single from Bryce Harper to give Cristopher Sánchez a 1-0 lead to work with.

The Phillies could have done even more early damage against Braves righty Tyler Mahle. With runners on the corners, Harper was off on contact when Bryson Stott hit a tapper back to the mound. Harper was caught in a run down and was tagged out diving back to third.

ATLANTA — The Phillies have a lot of familiarity with Atlanta’s Game 2 starter Tyler Mahle.

This season, they have faced the right-hander four times: twice with the Giants, and twice with the Braves after Mahle was traded there. Relying mainly on his fastball and splitter, Mahle has held them to a 2.28 ERA this season.

“We haven't solved that riddle really well yet, but we'll see today,” Mattingly said.

ATLANTA – If the Phillies have a lead in the late innings today, will they have their star closer available?

Jhoan Duran threw 27 pitches in Game 1, his highest total since Aug. 16. He entered in the seventh inning and retired the side but began to tire in the eighth and allowed a go-ahead three-run homer to Austin Riley on a 100-mph fastball over the heart of the plate.

But Duran is the Phillies' best reliever – by a wide margin. Interim manager Don Mattingly won't stray from using him in Game 2, assuming he's available. Asked after Game 1 if he would be able to pitch, Duran said, "Maybe yes, maybe not," depending on how he felt after playing catch Wednesday.

ATLANTA — If the Phillies are able to extend their season, Zack Wheeler and probably Aaron Nola would be in the pitching plans Thursday for a decisive Game 3 of the wild-card miniseries.

Wheeler isn't available out of the bullpen here Wednesday after having thrown 97 pitches in the regular-season finale Sunday, according to interim manager Don Mattingly. But the ace is expected to be a factor Thursday, possibly even to start, on three days’ rest.

“I would think so,” Mattingly said. “I would think so. And even (Thursday) anyway, if Noles starts it.”

Despite wasting an exceptional outing from Jesús Luzardo, the Phillies should have a pitching advantage in Games 2 and 3.

Tyler Mahle, who is starting Game 2, was excellent after being acquired at the trade deadline from San Francisco, and allowed just one run this season in three starts against the Phils.

But he did get roughed up by the Reds last week in his final start of the regular season and had a 5.13 ERA with the Giants before coming to Atlanta. He’s human and Cristopher Sánchez is the better pitcher who the Phils hope can do enough to force a Game 3.

The Phillies will pin their hopes of staying alive in the playoffs to Cristopher Sánchez, and he did win 18 games with a 2.91 ERA. They went 23-10 in his starts, albeit only 8-6 on the road and 0-2 against the Braves.

But unless Sánchez throws a complete game, Phillies manager Don Mattingly will face the conundrum of how to get the last three, six, or more outs from less than a handful of trustworthy options.

Zack Wheeler would be on two days’ rest after throwing 97 pitches Sunday in the must-win regular-season finale. Aaron Nola would be on three days’ rest after starting on two days’ rest Saturday night. And the Phillies probably need to hold him back to start a potential Game 3 here Thursday.

If the Phillies hope to come back against the Atlanta Braves, they'll also need to overcome history.

For starters, the Phillies will need to win two straight games against the Braves to move on to the National League Division Series. Over the past month, the Phillies have won games on back-to-back days just once – Sept. 16 and 17 against the Washington Nationals.

Since 2022, when MLB made the best-of-three wild-card series permanent, 16 teams have gone down 0-1. Just one team — the New York Yankees in 2025 — managed to come back to win the series.

ATLANTA — As Don Mattingly settled into his seat on the golf cart to return to his clubhouse after he’d mismanaged his flawed roster into an eighth-inning collapse, Braves ace Chris Sale strode toward the interview room to discuss his role in the Braves’ 5-3 win in Game 1 of the National League wild-card series.

With his magnificent left hand, Sale doffed his cap and tipped it in Mattingly’s direction. Mattingly’s head was down, understandably. Sale, persistent, took his cap off and tipped it again. Mattingly nodded appreciatively.

After Mattingly’s performance Tuesday, that might be the last time the pair sees each other for a long, long time. Mattingly is the Phillies’ interim manager, and he wants to come back next season. A report last month said Mattingly would have to win the NL pennant to make that happen.