Alec Bohm, Andrew Painter help Phillies force winner-take-all Game 3

It was a two-out swing where a ball floated out to right field and just over the wall that sucked plenty of energy out of the Phillies on Tuesday. It was a two-out swing where a ball floated out to right field and just over the wall that put a jolt into the Phillies on Wednesday.

Alec Bohm’s home run in the top of the 10th inning of Game 2 of the Wild Card Series helped save the Phillies’ season in a 4-3 win over the Braves.

Bohm stepped to the plate against hard-throwing right-hander Didier Fuentes with two outs in the 10th. He worked a 1-1 count before inside-outing a 99.4 mph fastball from Fuentes over the head of Ronald Acuña Jr. and just over the right-field wall for a go-ahead homer.

It wasn’t just Bohm’s bat that helped the Phillies. He started a pair of key double plays earlier in the game. The first helped starter Cristopher Sánchez get out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning. The second helped Andrew Painter, on in relief, in the eighth inning after he walked the leadoff hitter on four pitches.

Painter, pitching in the postseason for the first time, got out of the eighth one batter later to keep the game tied at three. He pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings. With Jhoan Duran, who gave up the energy-sucking ball to right field on Tuesday, seemingly unavailable, it was Painter on the mound in the bottom of the 10th to try to secure the win in a one-run game.

The 23-year-old dealt with traffic on the bases. Mauricio Dubón and Michael Harris II both singled. But Painter stepped up and did not let a run score to keep the Phillies alive.

Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith was the Braves’ last hope with two outs and two runners on. Painter got ahead quick, and on the third pitch of the at-bat, appeared to hit the outer edge of the strike zone with a fastball. The pitch was called a ball. And as if there wasn’t enough drama throughout the game, the pitch was challenged by J.T. Realmuto. Everyone waited and stared at the jumbotron until it showed the pitch was in fact a strike that ended the game — a first in postseason history.

All in all, Painter fired three huge innings to keep the game tied and then to ensure the win. He struck out three batters and walked one on his way to the first postseason win of his career. It was quite the showing for the rookie.

Now, the series comes down to a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday.