Austin Riley’s Three-Run Homer Lifts Braves Past Phillies in Wild Card Game 1

Austin Riley turned a one-run deficit into an Atlanta Braves victory with a two-out, three-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting Atlanta past the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 in Game 1 of their National League Wild Card Series on Tuesday, September 29.

The swing gave the Braves a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series and pushed Philadelphia to the brink of elimination. The Phillies must win Game 2 at Truist Park on Wednesday to extend their season.

Riley changes the game with one swing

Philadelphia carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth after J.T. Realmuto lined a two-run triple down the right-field line in the seventh. Reliever Jhoan Duran had already recorded five outs when Atlanta put two runners aboard with two away.

Riley then punished a fastball over the middle of the plate, driving it into the seats for the decisive three-run homer. It was a dramatic postseason response from a hitter who finished the regular season with a .219 average, a .654 OPS and 19 home runs.

The blast completed Atlanta’s second comeback of the afternoon. Alec Bohm had put the Phillies ahead in the first inning with an RBI double, but Mike Yastrzemski answered with a run-scoring single in the second. Ozzie Albies’ RBI triple in the sixth gave the Braves their first lead before Realmuto briefly swung the game back toward Philadelphia.

Luzardo gives Philadelphia a chance

Jesús Luzardo, making his first start since September 7 after dealing with a shoulder issue, held Atlanta to one run over five innings. His performance kept the Phillies in position to steal the opener against Braves ace Chris Sale.

Sale allowed Philadelphia to score three times, but Atlanta’s bullpen protected the lead after Riley’s homer. Raisel Iglesias closed the ninth to secure the Braves’ first win of the 2026 postseason.

The result carries extra weight in the short Wild Card format. Teams winning Game 1 had advanced in 15 of the first 16 Wild Card Series played under the best-of-three structure entering this postseason.

Phillies face elimination in Game 2

Philadelphia is expected to start Cristopher Sánchez in Wednesday’s elimination game, while Atlanta is set to counter with Tyler Mahle. The winner of the series will advance to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

For the Braves, the opener belonged to Riley. After a difficult regular season by his standards, one swing placed Atlanta one victory away from the NLDS.