The Philadelphia Phillies are one loss away from elimination after watching a late lead disappear in Tuesday’s NL Wild Card Series opener.
Philadelphia carried a 3-2 advantage into the bottom of the eighth after J.T. Realmuto delivered a go-ahead two-run triple in the seventh, but Atlanta answered with the biggest swing of the afternoon. Austin Riley connected for a three-run homer off Jhoan Duran, flipping the game in the Braves’ favor before Raisel Iglesias closed out a 5-3 win in the ninth.
The loss was particularly painful after Jesús Luzardo gave Philadelphia five strong innings in his first start since September 7. Luzardo allowed only one run on three hits while striking out six, putting the Phillies in position to take the opener before Atlanta’s late rally.
Now the Phillies have to turn around and win Wednesday afternoon at Truist Park to keep their season alive. Game 2 begins at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, with a potential winner-take-all Game 3 scheduled for Thursday if Philadelphia can even the series.
That puts Cristopher Sánchez in one of the biggest starts of his career. The Phillies left-hander finished the regular season 18-7 with a 2.91 ERA and 231 strikeouts across 207 innings, and he’ll be asked to extend Philadelphia’s season against Tyler Mahle.
Mahle has already shown he can handle this Phillies lineup. He faced Philadelphia twice in September and allowed just one earned run across 13 innings, including seven innings of one-run ball at Citizens Bank Park on September 12.
Phillies vs. Braves Odds Today
Philadelphia jumps out as a slight road favorite at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook with Sanchez on the bump:
Best Bet for Phillies vs. Braves
Phillies Moneyline (-115): The Phillies are favored on the road for a reason. They have the better starting pitcher Wednesday, and I’m betting on Cristopher Sánchez to be the difference.
Tyler Mahle has been tough on Philadelphia, allowing just one earned run over 13 innings in two September starts. But if I’m picking one of these starters to take over a playoff game, it’s Sánchez.
Philadelphia could certainly use some length from him, too. Jhoan Duran was called on early on Tuesday and gave up Austin Riley’s three-run homer in the eighth, turning a 3-2 Phillies lead into a 5-3 deficit. The less Don Mattingly has to ask from his bullpen Wednesday, the better
There is a strong trend working against this pick. Hard Rock Bet’s Stats Hub notes that Atlanta has won eight of its last nine games as a home underdog.
I’ll go against it. Mahle has pitched well enough to keep this one tight, but Sánchez is the pitcher I trust more to win this matchup and get the Phillies to a decisive Game 3.
- Best Bet: Phillies Moneyline (-115)
Phillies vs. Braves Betting Splits
Hard Rock Bet players are backing the Phillies as they try to extend their season this afternoon:
- The Phillies have attracted 55.2% of the moneyline tickets and 67.9% of the handle.
- Braves +1.5 is drawing 61.3% of the run line bets and 56.7% of the money.
- Over 7.5 has received 80.1% of the total tickets and 64.8% of the handle.
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props
Phillies stars account for four of the five most-bet player props ahead of Game 2:
- Kyle Schwarber – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Trea Turner – Over 0.5 Hits
- Bryce Harper – Over 0.5 Hits
- Cristopher Sánchez – Over 6.5 Strikeouts
- Ronald Acuña Jr. – Over 0.5 Hits
Phillies vs. Braves Game Info
- 📍 Where: Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia
- 📅 Date: Wednesday, September 30
- ⏰ First Pitch: 2:00 PM ET
- 📺 TV: NBC, Peacock
- ⚾ Probable Pitchers:
- Phillies: Cristopher Sánchez
- Braves: Tyler Mahle
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