Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly got aggressive. He turned to his All-Star closer in the bottom of the seventh inning with a one-run lead. The decision worked, until it didn’t.
Jhoan Duran allowed a two-out go-ahead home run to Austin Riley in the bottom of the eighth inning in the Phillies’ 5-3 Game 1 loss to the Braves.
Duran pitched a 1-2-3 seventh. He got two quick outs to begin the eighth. Then, his command left. Michael Harris II singled on a 2-0 splitter. Duran hit Ozzie Albies with a 3-2 knuckle curve. The big right-hander then challenged Riley with a center-cut first-pitch fastball. The Braves third baseman didn’t miss it.
Riley sent the 99.9 mph four-seamer the other way. It landed just beyond the right-field wall for a three-run homer. That was it. Braves 5, Phillies 3.
Bryan De La Cruz grounded into a double play for the first two outs in the top of the ninth. Bryson Stott flew out to left field against Raisel Iglesias to end the game. Just two innings earlier, it was De La Cruz and Stott in the middle of a Phillies rally.
The pair scored on a go-ahead two-run triple by J.T. Realmuto with two outs to put the Phillies ahead 3-2, giving Mattingly his pathway to get aggressive with Duran.
Alec Bohm got the scoring started in the top of the first with a double against Chris Sale. Usually, when the Phillies score first, they win. Usually, when a team scores first in a postseason game, it wins. Only usually, though.
Now, the Phillies, who were 68-5 after leading after seven innings in the regular season, are on the brink of elimination just one game into their playoff run. The numbers suggest that run is probably over. Under the current playoff format, teams that lose Game 1 of the Wild Card Series have won just one of 16 series.
If there’s one silver lining, the 2026 Phillies have always made things difficult. They tended to eventually come through. Winning the next two games to advance will surely be difficult. Time will tell if they come through again.
Tom Dockery
September 29, 2026 at 6:38 pm
The 1980 team had to win 2 in a row at Houston in the NLCS.
They did so,coming from behind in the eighth inning in both games.
Still,the bullpen reminds me of the 1950’s Johnny Carson show”Who Do You Trust?”
ken bland
September 29, 2026 at 6:43 pm
There’s another silver lining. Chris Sale is within reason, done for the series. Get ’em tomorrow.
JeffW
September 29, 2026 at 8:23 pm
Q: When is a closer not a closer?
A: When he comes in in the 7th inning.