Phillies force Game 3 as Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper take turns and Alec Bohm hits 10th against the Braves

Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series was deadlocked at 3-3 Wednesday afternoon before Alec Bohm delivered Philadelphia’s biggest swing. His two-out homer in the 10th inning gave the Phillies a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves and forced a winner-take-all Game 3.

The Phillies trailed 3-1 before Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh. Harper’s outburst came one inning after he made a costly defensive error.

Andrew Painter then took over. The regular-season starter worked three scoreless innings to protect Philadelphia’s bullpen, stranded two runners in the 10th and struck out Dominic Smith after the Phillies won an ABS challenge.

Bryce Harper hit a solo home run to tie the score in the eighth inning during Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on September 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photos by Rob Tringali/MLB via Getty Images)

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Playing under traditional extra-inning rules that do not include designated runners on second base as in the regular season, Bohm hit his third career postseason home run, a 357-foot shot to right field off right-hander Didier Fuentes.

The Phillies will look to continue their playoff dominance over the Braves in Game 3 on Thursday. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 1993 NLCS and the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.

In the seventh, Drake Baldwin’s double glanced off Harper’s glove in right field, driving in Sean Murphy to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead. Harper, who returned to playing the outfield late in the season for the first time since 2022, made a bad jump and was leaping toward the ball near the warning track. He was not accused of error. Matt Olson added a sacrifice fly.

Bryce Harper (3) of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning of Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 30, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images)

“He probably should have been arrested, obviously,” Harper said.

The Phillies tied it on eighth-inning homers by Schwarber and Harper off Dylan Lee, the winning pitcher in the Braves’ 5-3 opening victory Tuesday. Schwarber’s drive traveled 447 feet and Harper followed with a 418-foot drive.

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Tyler Mahle allowed one run on six hits in seven innings for Atlanta. Cristopher Sánchez allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings for Philadelphia while throwing a career-high 116 pitches.

The Phillies tied it on eighth-inning homers by Schwarber and Harper off Dylan Lee, the winning pitcher in the Braves’ 5-3 opening victory Tuesday. Schwarber’s drive traveled 447 feet and Harper followed with a 418-foot drive.

Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with first base coach Paco Figueroa after hitting a solo home run to tie the game in the eighth inning of Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, Wednesday, September 30, 2026. (MLB photos via Getty Images)

Tyler Mahle allowed one run on six hits in seven innings for Atlanta. Cristopher Sánchez allowed three runs in 6.2 innings for Philadelphia while throwing a career-high 116 pitches.

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The start time for the deciding Game 3 has not yet been determined. The Braves announced that MLB would schedule the game for 2:15 p.m. ET or 8:15 p.m. ET in Atlanta, with the final time dependent on the conclusion of the remaining three games in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series this evening.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.