The Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night at Truist Park in a winner-take-all Game 3 of their National League Wild Card Series, with the winner advancing to the NL Division Series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The best-of-three series is tied at one game apiece after the teams split the first two meetings in Atlanta. The Phillies took Game 1 by a 3-1 margin, and the Braves answered with a 5-4 win in Game 2 to force the decisive third game.
The stakes are immediate: the winner moves on to face the NL East champion in the best-of-five Division Series, while the loser's season ends Thursday night. Atlanta finished the regular season with the best record in baseball, but the wild-card format leaves the 101-win club one loss from elimination.
Atlanta has named right-hander Kyle Wright as its Game 3 starter, while Philadelphia counters with right-hander Aaron Nola. Wright posted a 3.19 ERA over 30 starts this season, and Nola recorded a 3.25 ERA across 32 starts. Both pitchers face lineups that have combined for 12 home runs in the first two games of the series.
The Braves have not lost a home playoff series since 2018, and they went 55-26 at Truist Park during the regular season — the best home record in the National League. Philadelphia, which ended an 11-year playoff drought this season, is seeking its first postseason series win since 2010.
Atlanta's offense is built around National League home run leader Austin Riley, who hit 38 home runs and drove in 93 runs. Philadelphia outfielder Bryce Harper, the 2021 NL MVP, has reached base in both games of the series and is hitting .375 in the postseason so far.
The series winner will open the Division Series on the road against either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the St. Louis Cardinals, depending on the outcome of the other NL wild-card matchup. Game 1 of that series is scheduled for Saturday.
Thursday's forecast in Atlanta calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-60s at first pitch, with no rain expected to affect the game. A sellout crowd of more than 41,000 is expected at Truist Park.
