Alec Bohm absolutely obliterated a 99.4 mph fastball in the 10th inning last night, launching a go-ahead opposite-field home run that kept the Phillies alive in their Wild Card Series. With the postseason kicking off with a quartet of Game 2s, all of them were elimination games for the teams that dropped their Game 1s. The Phillies fought tooth and nail to keep their season going, tying their series 1-1 against the Braves with a gritty 4-3 victory in extra innings. Meanwhile, the White Sox just flat-out cruised, shutting down the Astros 7-3 to take their series 2-0.
Bohm’s Bat and Glove Keep Philly Dreaming
Man, there were so many heroes in that white-knuckle Game 2 for the Phillies, it’s tough to pick just one! Cristopher Sánchez gave them a yeomanlike start, Bryce Harper had his redemption moment, and Kyle Schwarber smashed a comeback-launching homer. Andrew Painter even tossed three scoreless innings in his postseason debut. But in the end, you gotta go with Bohm. Earlier in the game, he was making crucial plays, helping turn a couple of big double plays, including one in the sixth that felt absolutely essential for the Phillies to even stay in it. He was also making some sweet scoops, looking super comfortable at first base.
All that was just the appetizer, though. Bohm’s big moment came in the top of the 10th. With two outs and the game locked at 3-3, he stepped up to face rookie reliever Didier Fuentes, who had been straight-up dominating. On a 1-1 count, Fuentes fired a 99.4 mph fastball at the top of the zone, inner half. What happened next? Bohm drove it for a go-ahead opposite-field home run! Get this: that was the first dinger Fuentes had given up to a right-handed batter all year. That blast turned out to be the winning run, and thanks to Bohm and the rest of the squad, the Phillies forced a winner-take-all Game 3.
Braves Bullpen Crumbles as White Sox Make History
On the flip side, the Braves bullpen had a night they’ll want to forget ASAP. Starter Tyler Mahle, a deadline pickup, was dealing. He twirled a gem for seven strong innings, handing the bullpen a 3-1 lead. They had an 86.5% chance to close out the series and book their ticket to the NLDS against the Dodgers. But no, they just couldn’t hold it. Lefty Dylan Lee, who somehow didn’t give up a home run to a left-handed batter *all regular season*, then allowed back-to-back homers to Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in the eighth! Harper’s blast tied the game, and Lee only managed two outs. Raisel Iglesias came in and did his job, but then in the 10th, Didier Fuentes gave up that unthinkable homer to Bohm. Ouch.
Meanwhile, Chicago is absolutely buzzing! The White Sox didn’t just win, they cruised past the Astros 7-3, sealing their series win 2-0. Talk about a storybook run early in the postseason for them. This wasn’t just any win, either. This is the White Sox’s first playoff series win since all the way back in 2005. That’s a long time coming, and you know their fans are losing their minds right now.
With Game 2 wrapped up, we’ve still got more playoff baseball coming your way tonight. Get ready for the Red Sox at Yankees, hitting your screen at 8:00 p.m. ET, followed by the Cubs at Padres at 10:00 p.m. ET. The Phillies and Braves are heading to a decisive Game 3, and honestly, after that thriller last night, anything can happen!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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