Phillies force Game 3 as Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper go back-to-back and Alec Bohm homers in 10th vs Braves

Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series was deadlocked at 3-3 Wednesday afternoon before Alec Bohm delivered Philadelphia’s biggest swing. His two-out homer in the 10th inning lifted the Phillies to a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves and forced a winner-take-all Game 3.

The Phillies had trailed 3-1 before Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back homers in the seventh. Harper’s blast came one inning after he committed a costly fielding error.

Andrew Painter then took over. The regular-season starter worked three scoreless innings to protect Philadelphia’s taxed bullpen, stranded two runners in the 10th and struck out Dominic Smith after the Phillies won an ABS challenge.

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Playing under traditional extra-inning rules that don’t include designated runners at second base like in the regular season, Bohm delivered his third career postseason home run, a 357-foot shot to right field off right-hander Didier Fuentes.

The Phillies will try to continue their postseason dominance over the Braves in Thursday’s Game 3. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 1993 NLCS and the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.

In the seventh, Drake Baldwin’s double glanced off Harper’s glove in right field, driving in Sean Murphy to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead. Harper, who resumed playing the outfield late this season for the first time since 2022, got a poor jump and was leaping for the ball near the warning track. He was not charged with an error. Matt Olson added a sacrifice fly.

Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper (3) reacts after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning of Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on Sept. 30, 2026, in Atlanta, Ga. (Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images)

“Probably should have been caught, obviously,” Harper said.

The Phillies pulled even with eighth-inning home runs by Schwarber and Harper off Dylan Lee, the winning pitcher in the Braves’ 5-3 opening win on Tuesday. Schwarber’s drive carried 447 feet and Harper followed with a 418-foot drive.

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Tyler Mahle allowed one run on six hits in seven innings for Atlanta. Cristopher Sánchez allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings for Philadelphia while throwing a career-high 116 pitches.

The Phillies pulled even with eighth-inning home runs by Schwarber and Harper off Dylan Lee, the winning pitcher in the Braves’ 5-3 opening win on Tuesday. Schwarber’s drive carried 447 feet and Harper followed with a 418-foot drive.

Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper celebrates with first-base coach Paco Figueroa after hitting a solo home run to tie the game during the eighth inning of Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga., on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Tyler Mahle allowed one run on six hits in seven innings for Atlanta. Cristopher Sánchez allowed three runs in 6.2 innings for Philadelphia while throwing a career-high 116 pitches.

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The start time for the decisive Game 3 has not yet been determined. The Braves announced that MLB will schedule the game for either 2:15 p.m. ET or 8:15 p.m. ET in Atlanta, with the final time dependent on the conclusion of the other three Wild Card Series Game 2 matchups tonight.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.