Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series was deadlocked at 3-3 on Wednesday afternoon before Alec Bohm offered Philadelphia’s biggest swing. His two-out home run in the 10th inning lifted the Phillies to a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves and forced a winner-take-all third game. The Phillies trailed 3-1 before Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh. Harper’s explosion came one inning after making a costly fielding error. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you register or place a bet, FOX News may receive compensation. This content was created by a team working independently of the FOX newsroom. Then Andrew Painter took over. The regular-season starter worked three scoreless innings to protect Philadelphia’s bullpen, stranding two runners in the 10th and striking out Dominic Smith after the Phillies won an ABS challenge. Bryce Harper hit a game-tying solo home run in the eighth inning during game two of the National League Wild Card Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on September 30, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DESPERATELY NEEDS TO FIX ITS TERRIBLE POSTSEASON SCHEDULING PRACTICES Playing under traditional extra-innings rules that do not include designated runners at second base as in the regular season, Bohm hit the third postseason home run of his career, a 357-foot shot to right field in front to the right Didier Fuentes. The Phillies will try to continue their postseason dominance over the Braves in Game 3 on Thursday. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 1993 National League Championship Series and in the 2022 and 2023 National League Championship Series. In the seventh, Drake’s Baldwin double bounced off Harper’s glove in right field, driving in Sean Murphy to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead. Harper, who returned to play in the outfield at the end of this season for the first time since 2022, took a bad jump and was jumping toward the ball near the warning track. He was not accused of any error. Matt Olson added a sacrifice fly. Bryce Harper (3) of the Philadelphia Phillies 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 September 30, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) “They probably should have been caught, obviously,” Harper said. The Phillies tied it on eighth-inning home runs by Schwarber and Harper off Dylan Lee, the winning pitcher in the Braves’ opening 5-3 victory on Tuesday. Schwarber’s drive went 447 feet and Harper followed with a 418-foot drive. THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW: UNFILTERED, UNAPPOLOGIZED AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD YOUR DAILY PODCAST NOW! Tyler Mahle allowed one run and six hits in seven innings for Atlanta. Cristopher Sánchez allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings for Philadelphia and threw a career-high 116 pitches. The Phillies tied it on eighth-inning home runs by Schwarber and Harper off Dylan Lee, the winning pitcher in the Braves’ opening 5-3 victory on Tuesday. Schwarber’s drive went 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, Georgia, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (MLB Photos via Getty Images) Tyler Mahle allowed one run and six hits in seven innings for Atlanta. Cristopher Sánchez allowed three runs in 6.2 innings for Philadelphia and threw a career-high 116 pitches. OUTKICK IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE FOX NEWS APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD The start time of the decisive Game 3 has yet to be determined. The Braves announced that MLB will schedule the game for 2:15 p.m. ET or 8:15 p.m. ET in Atlanta, with the final schedule depending on the conclusion of the other three matchups in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series tonight. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
