Los Angeles (AFP) – Austin Riley blasted a two-run home run as the Atlanta Braves staged a late fightback to clinch a series-leveling 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB playoffs on Monday.
Riley’s 376-foot homer in the bottom of the eighth inning completed a superb rally by the top seeded Braves, who had been largely contained by Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler through six innings at Truist Park.
The win squared the best-of-five National League Division Series at 1-1 as the teams head to Philadelphia for game three on Wednesday.
As well as scoring the go-ahead home run, Riley sealed the Braves win with a dazzling bullet throw to first baseman Matt Olson to get Bryce Harper out on a double play after Michael Harris II pulled off a catch at the wall to get rid of Nick Castellanos.
The defeat was cruel on the Phillies who had built a 4-0 lead early on after an Alec Bohm single sent Trea Turner over home plate in the first inning before J.T.Realmuto’s two-run homer made it 3-0 in the third inning.
Bryson Stott’s sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth allowed Castellanos to make it 4-0 as the Phillies began to dream of taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
Phillies pitcher Wheeler, who finished with 10 strikeouts, had looked unstoppable through the opening five innings, but Atlanta finally got on the board with an Ozzie Albies single in the sixth inning that allowed Ronald Acuna Jr.to make it 4-1.
Travis d’Arnaud then made it a one-run game in the seventh, hammering a 414-foot homer to left field off Wheeler who was subsequently relieved by Jose Alvarado, who wrapped up the inning with the final two outs.
The Phillies looked on course to take their one-run lead into the ninth inning after Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman got the first two outs of the eighth inning.
But as the tension mounted, Riley jumped on an 88mph slider off Hoffman to give Atlanta a decisive lead.
Monday’s other NL playoff game sees the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks bidding to level the series after losing 1-1.
