In case you missed it, Austin Riley hit a massive three-run home run for the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday afternoon to lift Los Bravos over the Philadelphia Phillies (by a score of 5-3) in game one of their three-game Wild Card series.
Atlanta is now one win away from advancing to play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.
On top of Austin Riley’s huge blast on Tuesday, Braves’ ace starter Chris Sale also turned in a very quality start.
Following the wild game between the two NL East foes, Chris Sale made a shocking Austin Riley statement.
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Chris Sale Was HYPED After Austin Riley G0-Ahead Home Run
Here is what Chris Sale had to say in the postgame presser after Austin Riley’s clutch moment:
“I don’t think I’ve screamed that loud in a very long time.”
Chris Sale’s final line on Tuesday against the Phillies was: 6.1 IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 9 K’s.
As for Austin Riley’s moment, yeah, it makes a lot of sense why Chris Sale screamed so loudly, as it completely shook the baseball world.
It’s no slight to Austin Riley, but the MLB playoffs are filled with drastic, game-altering moments, and that home run by Riley certainly sets the precedent for the rest of the tournament.
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What’s Next for Atlanta Braves?
Well, the Braves will have to ride that high from the game-one victory and quickly re-shift their focus to the next game, which will be on Wednesday afternoon…. against the Phillies again.
Christopher Sanchez will get the ball for game two, while Atlanta will roll with Tyler Mahle to try and close out the series.
IF the Phillies happen to win on Wednesday, it’s unclear which direction both teams will go in terms of their respective pitching plans for the winner-takes-all game three.
Either way, the numbers back the Atlanta Braves to move on to the NLDS, as a strong majority of teams that take game one in the Wild Card series have gone on to advance.
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Chris Sale Makes Shocking Austin Riley Statement After Wild Phillies-Braves Wild Card Game