The Atlanta Braves needed that.
After dropping the first game of the NLDS to their division rival on Tuesday, the Braves looked like the team fans have come to know and love. Behind a dominant pitching performance from Kyle Wright, and some clutch two-out hitting, the Braves took down the Phillies on Wednesday to notch up the series at one game apiece.
After enduring some early-inning struggles from Max Fried, and a lack of some key hits, the Braves were eager to get back to the ballpark to set things right.
“What happened yesterday was yesterday and today is a new day," Braves second baseman Orlando Arcia told the media before the second game of the series. "I think we all came in with that same mentality that we're going to win tonight's game."
Despite a 2:55:00 rain delay that set the clock back a bit, that mentality was evident in Kyle Wright from the first pitch and the Major League leader in wins was locked in tonight. He threw six shutout innings on only 83 pitches (52 going for strikes), allowing only three base-runners while striking out six Phillies in the process.
The bullpen picked up right where Wright left off. They shut off the lights with three innings of one-hit baseball to slam the door on the Phillies.
Of course it helps when you have a shortstop making plays like this:
And a third baseman who can make plays like this:
The Phillies also enjoyed a strong day from their ace, Zack Wheeler, as it took the Braves a full trip down the order before they were able to register their first baserunner of the night. Wheeler entered with a stretch of zero earned runs allowed for 14.2 consecutive innings, and he stretched that number to 19.2 by the bottom of the sixth with two outs.
Then the flood-gates opened.
“Yesterday, we had a lot of opportunities to take advantage of that ball game and didn't do it," Austin Riley said Before the game Wednesday. "I want better at-bats today for myself. I feel like I missed some pitches when pitches were left over the plate and just didn't capitalize on them.”
Riley had been hitless through his first seven at-bats to start the Divisional Series, but he didn't miss on his eighth opportunity in the sixth.
Austin Riley was the second of three-consecutive Braves singles that put the team up three runs. After finishing game one at a pedestrian 2-for-9 with RISP, the Braves reverted back to their normal selves and surpassed their hitting total in such situations from the night before in those at-bats.
Despite struggling all night at the plate, the Braves found a way.
"It's the beauty of playoff baseball," Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson said after the game. "You've just got to find ways to make things happen. It was them yesterday with two-outs, and it was [us] today."
Atlanta now heads to Philadelphia to play game three, tied at one. The Braves haven't tabbed a starter yet, but the Phillies will likely turn to their co-ace, Aaron Nola, to pick up the ball for their first home playoff game in over a decade.