The Atlanta Braves are still riding the high of an exciting comeback win over the Phillies in game one of the NL Wild Card. Austin Riley finally got the chance to come through in a big moment, and he didn't let his teammates down.
That's a great confidence booster for Riley and the Braves. Riley had a rough time in 2026, so having him be a factor in the playoffs would be a welcome sight. Atlanta has to hope Tyler Mahle repeats the impressive pitching he put on display after being acquired from the Giants. He will hope to bounce back from his last start, which was easily the worst of his Braves tenure. As long as his splitter is effective, he should have success against the Phillies in game two.
Walt Weiss tweaked the lineup for the second game of the series, and it's an interesting decision. NL Cy Young candidate Cristopher Sanchez will take the mound for the Phillies, looking to get his team back in the series.
Game 2.#LetItFly pic.twitter.com/eFJ2VqmUbP
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 30, 2026
Braves' lineup for Game Two includes Ozzie Albies hitting third which feels like a coin flip
Sanchez didn't have his best stuff in September, as indicated by his 5.12 ERA over 31.2 innings. However, he's had success against the Braves in 2026. Philly's southpaw has a 2.25 ERA against Atlanta, with four walks and 13 strikeouts over 12 innings. That's not a very comforting feeling going into a game the Braves would really like to win. Their situation for a starter for game three isn't ideal.
Atlanta's lefty bats will have to make sure they don't chase his breaking pitches out of the zone. They struggled with that against Luzardo on Tuesday. That's the only way they're going to have a chance at beating Sanchez. One somewhat eyebrow-raising choice is the one to hit Ozzie Albies third, but breaking up handedness is helpful and Albies had a big hit in Game One.
The Braves were able to score three runs off of Sanchez in their last game against him on September 4th. A key factor in that game was their patience and ability to draw three walks. That strategy has to be at the forefront of the team's mind.
Atlanta stacked righty bats last time they faced Sanchez, with Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin as the sole left-handers. Not having Lane Thomas hurts a little here, as Weiss probably doesn't want to put much pressure on Brewer Hicklen in a potential clinch game.
Some good right-handed bats are in the fold, but Ha-Seong Kim and Sean Murphy don't inspire much confidence at the plate right now. They will need to step up and ensure the Braves advance on Wednesday afternoon.
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