Phillies face fury of fans as Braves turn tables with wild comeback victory in the second NLDS game - "What a choke job"
In a thrilling turn of events at Truist Park, the Atlanta Braves demonstrated their offensive prowess and chased the Philadelphia Phillies from a four-run deficit to take the win at home.
Max Fried who had a stellar regular season with an 8-1 record and a 2.55 ERA, faced a formidable Phillies lineup that capitalized on his struggles. The turning point came in the top of the fifth inning when Fried, after throwing 95 pitches, conceded three runs on six hits and four walks. The Phillies’ onslaught forced the Braves to bring Kirby Yates for relief.
"What a choke job." - Reacted one fan after the Phillies’ disappointing loss of a four run lead.
"Thanks for ruining my life." - Posted another angry fan.
The offensive highlight for the Phillies came in the third inning when J.T. Realmuto smashed a two-run homer into the Braves bullpen, further solidifying the Phillies’ lead at 3-0. Bryce Harper, who signaled before Realmuto’s homer, added to the offensive display.
Nick Castellanos added to the Phillies’ lead with a one-out single, followed by a stolen base and a move to third on Travis d’Arnaud’s throwing error. Bryson Stott then delivered a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Castellanos and extending the lead to 4-0.
Zack Wheeler was dominant for the Phillies with 10 strikeouts before Braves turned it around
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler continued his dominant performance, increasing his strikeout total to eight through four innings while maintaining a no-hit bid. Wheeler’s remarkable feat of six strikeouts through two innings marked a historic moment in MLB postseason history.
However, at the bottom of the sixth inning, Ozzie Albies finally broke through and ended the no-hitter. Wheeler’s recorded a ten-strikeout total for the night.
The sixth and seventh innings saw the Atlanta Braves fight back by scoring three runs. A two-run homer by Travis d’Darnaud gave the Braves a much-needed boost to fight back and remain in competition.
"Fire the announcers." - Tweeted a disappointed user.
The eighth inning saw the Braves turn the game around with another bomb, this time from Austin Riley’s bat which drove in two runs. With the score now 4-5 in favor of Atlanta, the Braves were looking at closing the game and securing a series tie before traveling to Philadelphia.
Despite Zack Wheeler’s stellar pitching performance and the team’s potent offense, the Phillies will return home with the NLDS tied 1-1 and in need of two wins to advance in the National League playoffs and position themselves for success in the series. NLDS Game 2 final result: Phillies 4-Braves 5.