Braves rally to take opening lead as four MLB teams win
Austin Riley’s eighth-inning homer lifted Atlanta over Philadelphia, while the Yankees, Padres and White Sox also opened the wild-card series with wins.
Atlanta beat Philadelphia 5–3 in Game 1 of the National League wild-card series after Austin Riley hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning. The win gave the Braves a 1–0 lead in the best-of-three series.
The Phillies had moved ahead 3–2 in the seventh on J.T. Realmuto’s two-run triple. With two outs in the eighth, Michael Harris II singled and Ozzie Albies was hit by a pitch before Riley homered off closer Jhoan Duran.
Jesús Luzardo allowed one run over five innings for Philadelphia in his first start since facing Atlanta 22 days earlier. The Fox Sports account noted Duran had converted 33 of 35 regular-season saves, while the homer was his third surrendered that season.
The Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 6–3, their first postseason victory since they beat Houston in the 2021 American League Division Series.
The Yankees and Padres also won on the opening day, leaving the Red Sox and Cubs facing possible elimination. In the best-of-three format, each Game 1 winner holds a 1–0 series lead.
