Braves and Phillies tied 1-1, face decisive Game 3 of NL Wild Card

The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are set for a decisive Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series on Thursday at 8 p.m. EDT at Truist Park in Atlanta. The series is tied 1-1 after two dramatic games, with the winner advancing to the National League Division Series.

Game 2 saw a back-and-forth contest at Truist Park. The Phillies jumped to an early lead before the Braves responded with a double steal by Ronald Acuña Jr., who advanced to third before Matt Olson singled him home to tie the game 1-1. Both teams feature multiple players on the injured list heading into the decisive matchup.

The Braves finished the regular season 94-68 in first place of the NL East, while the Phillies went 88-74 in second place. Atlanta has dominated the season series, holding a 10-5 record against Philadelphia across 16 meetings. The Braves have gone 52-29 at home this season and feature a .409 slugging percentage, ranked fifth in the NL. Matt Olson leads Atlanta with 41 home runs and 93 RBIs. The Phillies are 45-36 on the road and have excelled in games where they do not allow home runs, posting a 44-9 record in such contests. Bryce Harper leads Philadelphia with 29 home runs, 107 walks, and 87 RBIs.

Recent form favors Atlanta: the Braves have gone 5-5 over their last 10 games with a 3.60 ERA, while the Phillies have gone 4-6 with a 5.06 ERA over the same stretch. Both teams carry significant injury concerns into Game 3, with the Braves missing multiple pitchers and position players and the Phillies also dealing with several notable absences.