Braves vs. Phillies: Four storylines for Games 2 and 3

Despite Major League Baseball shafting the Braves and Phillies, scheduling their games in the middle of the afternoon during the week, the two division rivals put together easily the most exhilarating Game 1 of the entire Wild Card Series — a back-and-forth affair capped off by a three-run homer from Austin Riley.

The script couldn’t have been written any better by the folks in Hollywood. Riley, who’s amid by far the worst season of his career, delivering a moment in front of the home fans that could end up saving the Braves’ season.

But the job isn’t finished yet. The bulk of the Phillies’ rotation was unavailable after pitching over the weekend to get them into the postseason. That won’t be the case the rest of the way — one of the many storylines that will define this Wild Card Series.

Will the Braves’ Stars Show Up?

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the Braves’ win over the Phillies on Monday is that they did it without any production from their three best hitters. Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Matt Olson were lined up at the top of the order — and they combined to go 0-for-11 with three strikeouts.

The Braves survived mostly thanks to Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, and Michael Harris II. Harris had three hits — all singles. Albies brought in a run with a triple in the sixth inning, then coaxed a critical walk in the eighth, which set the table for Riley’s game-winning three-run blast.

These are all really good players who have had a lot of success over their careers. It’s very possible they find a different gear and are the difference in October. But Albies and Riley haven’t been consistent enough over the last two seasons to believe that’s going to happen every day. The Braves need their stars to show up in big moments if they want to close out this series.

Will Jhoan Duran Be Available for Game 2?

All Braves fans are talking about on this fine Wednesday morning is the heroics from Austin Riley — but there’s always a flip side to every coin. Don Mattingly made the questionable decision to send out his closer, Jhoan Duran, for the super-unconventional nine-out save with a one-run lead, and it backfired. Not only did the Braves win, but Duran threw 30 pitches, bringing into question just how much he can offer if things get tight in Game 2.

Because the Phillies are on the brink of elimination, it would be surprising not to see Duran at all on Wednesday. But this is a bullpen that’s already littered with questions, which is why he was out there for a nine-out save in the first place. Now they have another one, where the answer might not be unveiled until it’s too late.

Was Tyler Mahle’s Success a Charade?

For the Braves, this is one of the biggest storylines of the entire postseason. They’ve been lacking starting pitching depth all year, and the rotation took an even bigger hit over the final month with both Bryce Elder and Martin Perez going on the IL. At this point, it’s basically Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle, and figure it the hell out. Atlanta needs Mahle to be the guy he was in the regular season after the Braves acquired him at the trade deadline, posting a 1.99 ERA over nine starts — the best of any trade deadline acquisition.

However, things are a lot different this time of year, and Mahle has never experienced October baseball before. So what version are the Braves going to get? The guy who had a 1.99 ERA for the Braves this year, or the one who posted a 5.13 ERA with the Giants? We’ll have a much better idea in about seven hours.

Who Will the Phillies Start in Game 3?

The Phillies will turn to Cristopher Sanchez in Game 2, one of the best pitchers in the game over the last three seasons. They should feel confident about their chances of forcing a winner-take-all Game 3, where Mattingly will have to make another difficult decision between Zack Wheeler on short rest or Aaron Nola on full rest.

Nola has bounced back really nicely over the second half of the season, and he’s had a ton of success against the Braves in the playoffs when the teams met in 2022 and 2023. However, this decision doesn’t seem nearly as difficult as some of the others Mattingly will have to make.

The answer is Zack Wheeler. He’s been the ace of the Phillies’ staff for over a half-decade, a guy who’s produced nearly every time he’s been called upon in big moments. If this series does get to Thursday, expect to see him toe the rubber with an opportunity for the Phillies to bounce the Braves out of the playoffs for the third time in five years.

—

(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)