Late HR, incredible game-ending DP give Braves huge Game 2 win
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ATLANTA — Austin Riley made Truist Park rock with a go-ahead eighth-inning homer that trumped Zack Wheeler’s dominant start and gave the Braves a 5-4 win over the Phillies in Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Monday night.
Riley altered the mood of this series as he lofted his game-winning two-run homer off Jeff Hoffman over the left-field wall. The Braves were staring at the unenviable position of heading to Philadelphia down, 2-0, in this best-of-five series.
“Just being on the fastball, not trying to do too much,” Riley said. “I felt like I was fighting myself all night to try to put the barrel on the ball, and I was able to stay back just long enough.”
The Braves closed it out in the ninth on an incredible game-ending double play started by Michael Harris II’s leaping catch into the right-center-field wall. His throw to the infield trickled to Riley, who fired to Matt Olson to complete the first 8-5-3 double play in postseason history. It was also the first double play involving an outfielder to end a postseason game, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
“Mike made an unbelievable play,” Riley said. “It looked like it was going to be a ball in the gap. Harper was trying to be aggressive in a one-run ballgame. It was just about backing up the play and being in the right place at the right time.”
Olson singled off Wheeler to open the bottom of the seventh, and after Marcell Ozuna struck out, Travis d’Arnaud hit a two-run shot off his former batterymate to make it a 4-3 ballgame.
The four-run comeback tied the mark for Atlanta’s largest come-from-behind win in its postseason history, alongside their win in Game 2 of the 2010 NLDS vs. the Giants — also a 5-4 win, but in extra innings.
Braves starter Max Fried wasn’t sharp as he pitched for the first time since a blister developed on his left index finger on Sept. 21. The left-hander allowed three runs on six hits and four walks over just four innings. The only run surrendered by the Braves’ bullpen came in the fifth, when Bryson Stott scored Nick Castellanos, who had reached third when d’Arnaud’s attempt to prevent him from stealing second sailed into center field.