Atlanta Braves down Philadelphia Phillies to move on in MLB play-offs

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harris-michael/hrPKZMHe/"]Michael Harris[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/albies-ozzie/4Y95MeKQ/"]Ozzie Albies[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olson-matt/GvvV3tAQ/"]Matt Olson[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/atlanta-braves-0UPxbDYA/philadelphia-phillies-QTNHA4p4/?mid=bimF34fn"]blasted home runs[/a] to set up a victory which sealed a 2-1 wild card series win for the Braves.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atlanta-braves/0UPxbDYA/"]Atlanta[/a] will now travel to California to take on the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-dodgers/nwPDBpVc/"]Dodgers[/a] in the opening game of their best-of-five National League division series on Saturday.[/p][p]Thursday's victory was sweet for Atlanta, who were eliminated by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-phillies/QTNHA4p4/"]Philadelphia[/a] in the playoffs in 2022 and 2023.[/p][p]"[b]This is the best moment of my life right now,[/b]" Albies said afterwards. "[b]The last couple of postseason games they sent us home, so it feels great to do it to them here at home. It means everything.[/b]"[/p][p]Philadelphia had rocked Atlanta in game two on Wednesday with a dramatic extra-inning victory at Truist Park to level the series.[/p][p]But the Braves attacked Phillies starting pitcher [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nola-aaron/vF0e1MPK/"]Aaron Nola[/a] early on in Thursday's decider to take a stranglehold on the game.[/p][p]Nola gave up walks to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/acuna-jr-ronald/l4fMjWuo/"]Ronald Acuna Jr.[/a] and Matt Olson in the first inning before outfielder Michael Harris slashed a 387-foot home run to right center-field that put the Braves 3-0 up.[/p][embed guid="1330b07a-b1da-45d5-9238-4ee0b3a56a63" url="https://x.com/MLB/status/2105855578266554629?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Phillies manager Don Mattingly replaced Nola in the second inning but Atlanta continued to look the likelier team to score.[/p][p]They duly extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth when Albies jumped on a 96.5mph fastball from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wheeler-zack/ShU3LKZm/"]Zack Wheeler[/a] to send a 419-foot two-run blast into right field.[/p][p]The Phillies did finally get on the board in the sixth inning after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bohm-alec/QgTNAl1m/"]Alec Bohm[/a] ground out to allow [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schwarber-kyle/jPbF6sQD/"]Kyle Schwarber[/a] to come home and leave it at 5-1.[/p][p]The Braves, though, would restore their five-run cushion in the bottom of the seventh with a towering home run from Olson off Phillies reliever [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bowlan-jonathan/zFn0cVXI/"]Jonathan Bowlan[/a].[/p][p]The Phillies grabbed a second run in the top of the eighth inning after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/turner-trea/bkv2lmIP/"]Trea Turner[/a]'s sacrifice fly scored [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hill-derek/KzgD4uE7/"]Derek Hill[/a].[/p][p]The Braves responded by bringing in ace starter [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sale-chris/WxqHxcJe/"]Chris Sale[/a] to close out the game, and the veteran left-hander duly took care of business to grab the final four outs and snuff out the Phillies' hopes of a fightback.[/p]