Austin Riley flips Game 1 with one swing as Braves beat Phillies 5-3

The Phillies had six outs left to protect a one-run lead. Austin Riley left them three outs to save their afternoon.

Riley hit a two-out, three-run homer off Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning Tuesday, turning a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 Atlanta victory in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park. The Braves lead the best-of-three series 1-0; Philadelphia now needs to win the next two games to advance.

The inning looked close to finished before Atlanta created its chance. Duran retired the first two hitters, then Michael Harris II reached on an infield single. Duran hit Ozzie Albies, putting the tying run in scoring position and the lead run on first. Riley drove the next opportunity to right-center, bringing all three runners home.

That sequence reversed a late swing in Philadelphia's favor. J.T. Realmuto had delivered a two-run triple in the seventh against rookie Didier Fuentes, scoring Bryan De La Cruz and Bryson Stott. The Phillies moved ahead 3-2 after Chris Sale had carried Atlanta into the seventh with a 2-1 advantage.

Sale struck out nine across 6 1/3 innings. He hit De La Cruz and allowed Stott's single before leaving, so the two runners who scored on Realmuto's triple were charged to him. Fuentes first retired pinch-hitter Justin Crawford, then Realmuto drove a ball down the right-field line to put Philadelphia ahead.

MLB published the strikeout sequence from Sale's start.

Philadelphia's first lead came early. Alec Bohm doubled home Kyle Schwarber in the first inning. Atlanta answered in the second when Mike Yastrzemski singled in Albies, and the starters kept the game tied through the fifth.

Jesús Luzardo gave Philadelphia five innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts. After he left, Albies tripled in Harris in the sixth to put Atlanta in front. Each team had a chance to build a bigger cushion, but the game remained close enough for the two late extra-base hits to decide it.

Duran had worked a clean seventh against the top of Atlanta's order before returning for the eighth. The final two baserunners in that second inning of work proved costly: neither arrived on an extra-base hit, yet Riley needed only one to erase Philadelphia's advantage.

The Phillies opened the ninth with a Brandon Marsh single against Raisel Iglesias. De La Cruz then grounded into a double play, clearing the bases and leaving Philadelphia one out from defeat. Stott's flyout ended it.

Atlanta finished with seven hits to Philadelphia's six. Harris had three of the Braves' hits and scored twice, including on Riley's homer. Riley drove in three of Atlanta's five runs.

The same rivals still have another game to play. Tuesday's finish means the Braves can end the series with one more win, while the Phillies have no remaining margin for another late lead to disappear.