Trailing late after a bullpen shift, the Braves capitalized when Duran, who surrendered just two home runs across 61 regular-season appearances, yielded a single to Michael Harris II before hitting Ozzie Albies with a pitch. Riley drove the first pitch he saw over the right-center field wall for his sixth career postseason home run, providing a dramatic turn in a contest played before 30,127 fans at Truist Park as reported by Field Level Media.
Overcoming Regular-Season Struggles
For Riley, the clutch swing offered immediate redemption following a difficult regular season where he posted career lows with a .219 batting average, .290 on-base percentage, and .364 slugging percentage.
“Especially knowing how my season was not the way I wanted it, that’s why the postseason is a clean slate,” Riley said after the game. Braves ace Chris Sale noted that Riley’s internal consistency never wavered during his offensive slump.
“You couldn’t tell if he was the leading MVP candidate or if he was struggling,” Sale said. “He kept doing the work and had a great moment.”
Bullpen Woes and Pitching Duels
The game began as a pitcher’s duel between Sale and Philadelphia left-hander Jesus Luzardo. Making his first start in three weeks following a stint on the injured list for left shoulder inflammation, Luzardo delivered five innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts on 77 pitches.
“In my mind if we got 75 pitches from him today we would be in a pretty good spot,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “He kind of gave us more than we thought honestly.”
Sale was equally formidable early, striking out a playoff career-high nine batters over 6 1/3 innings and touching 100 mph on the radar gun in the first frame against Bryce Harper. However, Sale faded in the seventh, hitting a batter and conceding a single before reliever Didier Fuentes surrendered a two-out, two-run triple to J.T. Realmuto that briefly put Philadelphia ahead 3-2.
The Phillies’ bullpen fragility surfaced once more. Philadelphia relievers recorded a 5.79 ERA in September, the highest mark in the major leagues. Mattingly turned to Duran in the seventh for a rare multi-inning appearance, but the right-hander could not close out the victory.
Series Outlook and Next Steps
With the 5-3 win, the Braves hold a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series and can clinch advancement on Wednesday afternoon. Atlanta will look to right-hander Tyler Mahle (7-10, 3.99 ERA), who went 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA in nine appearances following his acquisition, to counter Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez (18-7, 2.91 ERA) in Game 2.