Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley made himself the hero of the first game of the 2026 postseason, hitting a go-ahead, game-winning three-run homer in the eighth inning of the Braves' 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. Riley's go-ahead blast was the third of his postseason career in the eighth inning or later, giving him the Braves' franchise record and tying him with Troy Glaus, Bernie Williams, Jose Altuve and Freddie Freeman for the most in postseason history. The first of these home runs came Oct. 12, 2020 in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the second came against the Phillies in the 2023 NLDS.
Riley's clutch home run is a huge boost for both himself and the team, as he had struggled throughout the 2026 season. The infielder's regression hit a new low this season, as he had just a .654 OPS over the course of 159 games while hitting 19 homers and driving in 72 runs. Riley broke out in the 2021 season, hitting 33 homers and continuing a trend of hitting 30 or more through the 2023 season.
Since then, though, he hasn't cleared the 20 mark, nor has he had an OPS higher than .800 in a season during that stretch. Riley last appeared in the postseason in 2023, posting a 1.059 OPS in four games, and if he can replicate those results, he will be a key player for the Braves throughout the postseason. The Braves, after Tuesday's win, are now just one win away from advancing to the NLDS to face the Los Angeles Dodgers—against whom they won five of six games during the regular season.
They're not quite there yet, though, as they have to face a tough customer Cristopher Sánchez in Wednesday's game. Sanchez led MLB pitchers in bWAR this season, posting a 2.91 ERA through 207 innings while striking out a career-high 231 batters. If they manage to beat the left-hander, though, they'll reach the NLDS for the first time since 2023—when they lost to the Phillies in four games.
The second game of the series comes Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.
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