Wednesday is a huge day for the 2023 Major League Baseball playoffs, with an all-important Game 3 between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves; and the opportunity for the Houston Astros (vs. Twins) and Arizona Diamondbacks (vs. Dodgers) to punch their tickets to the LCS.
The Phillies and Braves (5:07 p.m. ET) get things started Wednesday with the series tied 1-1 after Atlanta’s stunning comeback victory in Game 2 on Monday. In the day’s second game, the Astros (up 2-1) can secure their seventh straight trip to the ALCS with another win over the Twins (7:07 p.m. ET). In the nightcap, the surprising Diamondbacks (up 2-0) look to finish off a sweep of the heavily-favored Dodgers (9:07 p.m. ET).
Keep it here throughout the evening for updates from the MLB playoffs triple-header:
Where to watch Phillies-Braves game: 2023 MLB playoffs schedule
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Homers by Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos give Phillies the lead
PHILADELPHIA – Two mighty swings was all it took for momentum to return to the Phillies’ side in this National League Division Series.
Bryce Elder, Atlanta’s Game 3 starter who relies on command and a sinker that tops out at 89 mph, allowed a game-tying solo homer to Nick Castellanos and then a three-run homer to Bryce Harper as the Phillies took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning at Citizens Bank Park.
Yet his mess still wasn’t cleaned up. Catcher J.T. Realmuto followed with a double to the gap in left center field off reliever Michael Tonkin, and it was 6-1. Realmuto’s hit was the sort of blow the Phillies missed in Monday’s Game 2, when they pounced early but never added on to a 4-1 lead, eventually losing 5-4.
Elder, who had a 2.97 ERA in the first half and a 5.11 ERA in the second half, gave up a sky-high home run to Castellanos down the left field line and a solid single to Brandon Marsh. And the trouble with Elder is, he doesn’t miss too many bats.
So when Trea Turner dribbled a grounder between third and short that was knocked down on the infield, the inning extended for Harper. He responded with a 408-foot homer to right.
After Elder allowed a single and walk, he was done after 2 ⅔ innings.
– Gabe Lacques
Braves take 1-0 lead over Phillies in top of third inning
PHILADELPHIA – For the first time in this series, Atlanta seized the lead first.
A one-out double by MVP candidate Ronald Acuña Jr. preceded an RBI single from Ozzie Albies and Atlanta took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. The Braves did not lead in the series until Austin Riley’s two-run, eighth-inning homer in Game 2 kept them out of a 2-0 series hole and squared this NLDS heading into Wednesday’s Game 3.
– Gabe Lacques
Braves-Phillies scoreless after two innings of Game 3 of NLDS
PHILADELPHIA – So far, this looks anything like a get-through game for the Atlanta Braves.
Score after two innings: 0-0.
Starter Bryce Elder, given the Game 3 nod over rookie A.J. Smith-Shawver, tossed two perfect innings to begin Game 3 of the NLDS at Citizens Bank Park. Elder has struck out four and allowed just one ball out of the outfield, needing just 29 pitches to complete two innings.
Phillies starter Aaron Nola gave up a pair of hits in the first inning but has also struck out four, including Orlando Arcia, much to the delight of the partisan crowd. Arcia raised eyebrows with his postgame jab toward Bryce Harper after Game 2 in Atlanta and suddenly is a most unlikely Public Enemy No. 1 in Philly.
– Gabe Lacques
Braves’ Orlando Arcia mocked Bryce Harper after blunder
PHILADELPHA – As postgame controversies go, it’s not exactly flammable material to toss on the embers of this Braves-Phillies not-quite-rivalry.
But Orlando Arcia’s spontaneous reaction to Bryce Harper’s baserunning misfortune can only add a little spice to this National League Division Series.
After Monday’s Game 2 ended on an unprecedented 8-5-2 double play made possible by Harper’s aggressive (or, depending on perspective, foolhardy) baserunning, a Fox Sports reporter heard Arcia remark while watching a replay in the Atlanta clubhouse.
“Haha, attaboy, Harper!” Arcia said, and while reveling in an opponent’s misfortune isn’t the greatest look, it wasn’t exactly said on live television.
Nonetheless, the Phillies noticed. No word on if they blew the words up in blaring type to distribute in the Citizens Bank Park clubhouse.
“Yeah, you don’t need anything to motivate him,” Thomson said of Harper before Wednesday’s Game 3. But I know what you’re talking about.
“If that adds to his motivation, then thank you.”
Harper hit a home run in Game 1 and brings a 1.757 OPS and seven playoff home runs as a Phillie into Game 3. He’s known to be a little intense.
So, perhaps the goal might be to not get the two-time MVP too riled up.
“We don’t really pay that too much,” says outfielder Brandon Marsh. “We know it’s just good banter. It’s two just NL East teams going at it.”
– Gabe Lacques
Phillies have major home-field advantage at Citizens Bank Park
There may be no better home field advantage in the playoffs than in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park.
Expect the frenzied crowd of 45,000 to be loud end electric for Game 3 of the NL Division Series between the Phillies and Atlanta Braves, which is tied 1-1.
The Phillies went 49-32 at CBP this season with a +83 run differential — their best mark at home since they were +114 at home in 2011.
In the postseason, the Phillies are 24-11 all time at CBP and their .686 winning percentage is the best in MLB history for any club to play 30+ postseason games at their home venue, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“I think we have the best home-field advantage in the league,” said the Phillies’ Aaron Nola, who starts Game 3. “I think our crowd is the rowdiest, and we love playing in front of that. I feel like it is tough sometimes for opposing teams to play in this stadium, but we like it a lot. We feed off of it.”
Even Braves reliever A.J. Minter acknowledged the crowd effect on Tuesday: “I told everyone this past offseason that Philly was the loudest stadium I’ve ever been in, especially last year in the postseason. We know Philly fans — we know them pretty well — and they’re passionate for their team, and so are we. But it’s definitely going to be chaotic.”
– Scott Boeck
Phillies, Braves’ Game 3 lineups: Bryce Elder starts for Atlanta
Braves manager Brian Snitker said he made the decision to start Bryce Elder because he liked the right-hander’s performance in intrasquad games the Braves played to stay sharp during their off week.
“I think we just kind of felt like after the way he threw at the intrasquad and with the layoff, that he was the guy,” Snitker said. “He’s been a starter for us all year. It was a big reason why we won the division. We liked what we saw.”
Aaron Nola’s career vs. Braves
Game 3 starter Aaron Nola made three starts against the Braves in the 2023 regular season, posting a 3.50 ERA with 20 strikeouts and four walks in 18 innings.
Nola got the win in Game 3 of the NLDS last season against Atlanta, giving up one earned ru in six innings of work.
Here’s some of the Braves’ top hitters regular-season numbers through the years against Nola:
- Austin Riley: .389 average (21-for-54), 5 HR, 9 RBI, 5 doubles, 1.180 OPS
- Ronald Acuña Jr.: .327 average (16-for-49), 4 HR, 9 RBI, 5 doubles, 1.084 OPS
- Ozzie Albies: .254 average (15-for-59), 4 XBH, .641 OPS
- Travis d’Arnaud .167 average (6-for-36), 2 HR, .606 OPS
- Michael Harris II: .200 average (4-for-20), 2 HR, 5 RBI, .740 OPS
Braves’ Game 2 comeback was capped by dramatic double-play
Once again, it seemed the Braves’ regular season dominance was no match for the Phillies’ playoff brilliance.
Yet down to their last four outs before falling into a hole that would have wrecked their record-setting year, Braves slugger Austin Riley saved their season and Michael Harris Jr. sent them off to Philadelphia with a game-saving play.
Riley lofted a go-ahead, two-run homer off Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman with two outs in the eighth inning, lifting Atlanta to a 5-4 victory in Game 2 of their National League Division Series, a best-of-five in which their outlook was bleak just moments earlier.
The game ended in almost equally dramatic fashion, with a stunning double play after Nick Castellanos drove a ball to the fence in right center field, only for Atlanta center fielder Harris to reel the ball in with a leaping catch up against the fence.
He whirled and fired toward the infield as Bryce Harper − understandably thinking he might score on the apparent extra-base hit − tried to scamper back to first. But that man Riley interceded, cutting off Harris’ throw and firing to first baseman Matt Olson to end the game.
– Gabe Lacques
Byron Buxton added to Twins’ ALDS roster
The Minnesota Twins added outfielder Byron Buxton to their playoff roster, MLB announced Wednesday afternoon. He replaces first baseman/outfielder Alex Kirilloff, who sustained an unspecified injury in Game 3. Kirilloff cannot return to the roster before the World Series, should the team advance against the Houston Astros in the American League Division Series.
Buxton hasn’t played since August 1 after going on the injured list with a right hamstring injury.
– Scott Boeck
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