The Braves and Phillies played a wild Game 2, with Atlanta pulling off an incredible comeback and one of the most dramatic endings of the postseason. Down 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Austin Riley came through with a clutch two-out, two-strike homer on a 3-2 slider. His earlier swings showed he was sitting sliders, committed to hunting that pitch. But with the count full and the tying run on third, he shortened up and spoiled a difficult low slider, sending it into the left field seats to give the Braves the lead. It was a smart at-bat and a great adjustment within the count.
Then came the ninth. Philly’s Bryce Harper tried to be aggressive on the bases with one out and Nick Castellanos at the plate. Castellanos drove a fastball deep to right-center, and it looked dangerous. Michael Harris made a ridiculous leaping catch at the wall, fired it back in, and the Braves took full advantage of Harper’s overaggression. Harper had rounded second, thinking the ball would fall, slipped trying to retreat, and left himself exposed. Austin Riley, who had backed up the play while yelling instructions to his teammates, ended up in perfect position to grab Harris’s throw and laser it to first to double Harper off. An 8-5-3 double play sealed the win. Pure chaos, perfect execution, and probably the most exciting finish of the postseason so far.