Riley’s eighth-inning homer made it 5–3

Austin Riley’s three-run homer in the eighth decided Wild Card game 1. It came off Jhoan Duran, scored Harris and Albies, and turned a 3–2 Philadelphia lead into a 5–3 Atlanta final.

Riley was 1-for-3 with a hit by pitch and 3 RBI. The homer was the first of this series. That is a series count, not a season total.

Earlier, Bohm doubled off Chris Sale in the first and scored Schwarber. Yastrzemski singled off Jesús Luzardo in the second and scored Albies. Albies tripled off Alex McFarlane in the sixth and scored Harris.

Dylan Lee got the win. Raisel Iglesias got the save. Atlanta leads the series 1–0.

First pitch Tuesday was 1:00 p.m. CT at Truist Park.

The eighth had to be a comeback because of the seventh. Didier Fuentes allowed a Realmuto triple that scored De La Cruz and Stott. Philadelphia led 3–2.

The running line, away then home, was 1–0, 1–1, 1–1, 1–1, 1–1, 1–2, 3–2, 3–5. Atlanta did not bat in the ninth.

Philadelphia finished with 3 runs, 6 hits, and 0 errors. Atlanta finished with 5 runs, 7 hits, and 0 errors.

Luzardo threw 5 innings, allowed 3 hits, 1 earned run, and 1 walk, and struck out 6. The seventh was not his. It was Fuentes.

Sale threw 6.1 innings, allowed 4 hits and 3 earned runs, walked 1, and struck out 9.

The 9 strikeouts are real. The 3 earned runs are why Philadelphia was in front after Realmuto’s triple. He missed bats and still handed over a deficit.

The loss went to Jhoan Duran, the pitcher who gave up the go-ahead homer. It did not go to Sale, and it did not go to Fuentes.

Lee got the win. Iglesias got the save. The homer everyone will remember was allowed by the man charged with the loss.

Atlanta leads 1–0 because Riley homered in the eighth. The next game is Wednesday, September 30, at 1:00 p.m. CT at Truist Park.

Cristopher Sánchez and Tyler Mahle are the probables. It is game 2 of 3. It has not been played.