Austin Riley leads Braves to victory in Wild Card Series opener against Phillies

<p>Austin Riley's performance in the 2026 MLB season had been underwhelming, with 19 home runs and a .219 batting average. However, he made a significant impact in the Braves' Game 1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Wild Card Series on Tuesday. Riley hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, putting Atlanta ahead 5-3.</p><p>The home run came off Phillies closer Jhoan Duran, who had allowed only two home runs in 61 regular-season appearances. The inning began with a single from Michael Harris II, followed by Duran hitting Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies with a pitch before Riley's decisive hit.</p><p>Chris Sale of the Braves faced off against Jesús Luzardo of the Phillies, with Sale pitching effectively throughout the game. In the seventh inning, J.T. Realmuto's two-run triple off Sale gave the Phillies a brief 3-2 lead.</p><p>The Braves have the opportunity to clinch the series in Game 2 on Wednesday, aiming to overcome Philadelphia's historical postseason success against them, having eliminated Atlanta in previous playoff matchups. The Braves-Phillies series marks the beginning of the 2026 postseason, with additional Wild Card Series scheduled to follow.</p><p><i>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</i></p>