Seriously, how is it October already? And if you haven’t been paying attention, you better start now because we’ve got a winner-take-all Game 3 teed up between the Atlanta Braves and the rival Philadelphia Phillies tonight in their National League Wild Card Series! It’s win-or-go-home at Truist Park, and the stakes are absolutely through the roof.
Braves’ Brutal Elimination History Comes Calling
This series? It’s been a straight-up thrill ride, man. The Braves pulled off a comeback in Game 1 thanks to Austin Riley’s late three-run homer. Then the Phillies flipped the script, rallying themselves to snag a wild Game 2 in 10 innings. So, here we are, everything on the line. Aaron Nola, with his 7-12 record and 4.67 ERA, gets the ball for Philadelphia. For Atlanta, Grant Holmes, who’s sitting at 10-6 with a solid 3.44 ERA, is likely to be the bulk pitcher. The Braves are the ever-so-slight -110 money line favorites over the Phillies at -102. But here’s the real kicker: Atlanta’s recent history in elimination games is brutal. We’re talking six straight losses when their season is on the line, a streak that goes all the way back to the 2018 NL Division Series. And get this, two of those losses came *against the Phillies* in the ’22 and ’23 Division Series. Still, some experts like SportsLine’s Matt Severance note that Atlanta mostly dominated the regular season series against Philly and they definitely have the better lineup. He’s saying this one “utterly screams another one-run, lower-scoring game.” You ready for that kind of tension?
Beyond the Diamond: Thursday Night Football and More
While that Braves-Phillies Game 3 is the marquee attraction, obviously, the sports landscape on Thursday, October 1, is packed. For all you gridiron fanatics out there, it’s Steelers at Browns for the NFL Thursday Night Football game. You know what that means: a whole lot of hard hits and hopefully some clutch plays. Beyond that, there’s a partial college football schedule running, and the NHL just dropped the puck on its season, so there’s a full slate of hockey games to check out as well.
So yeah, buckle up. Whether you’re all in on October baseball or ready for some NFL action, Thursday is bringing the heat. Get ready to watch, get ready to bet, because it’s going to be a wild ride.
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.
Leave a Reply