Braves news: Walt Weiss gets honest on Austin Riley saving Atlanta vs. Phillies
· Yahoo Sports
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Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss praised Austin Riley after the third baseman delivered the decisive swing in a 5-3 Game 1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Wild Card Series.
Riley entered the postseason after a tough regular season, batting .219 with 19 home runs, 72 RBI and a franchise-record 201 strikeouts across 159 games. None of that mattered Tuesday when he stepped to the plate with two outs in the eighth inning and the Braves trailing 3-2.
MLB Network shared Weiss’s postgame comments on X, formerly Twitter, after Riley turned on a 99.9 mph fastball from Phillies closer Jhoan Duran and launched a go-ahead three-run homer 385 feet to right-center.
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"So happy for Austin Riley. Been a tough year for him… when the [Postseason] starts, everything starts at zero."
Walt Weiss discusses Austin Riley's game-winning 3-run homer and embracing the "clean slate" of Postseason baseball.
📺 MLB Network pic.twitter.com/aCtjwQ4C3I
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 29, 2026
Michael Harris II had singled before Ozzie Albies was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for Riley’s sixth career postseason homer. The blast also marked his third go-ahead postseason home run in the eighth inning or later, tying the MLB record.
Chris Sale gave the Braves 6 1/3 strong innings and struck out nine. After Sale left with two on in the seventh, Didier Fuentes allowed JT Realmuto’s two-run triple that put the Phillies ahead 3-2. Dylan Lee worked a scoreless eighth, and Raisel Iglesias closed the ninth.
The Braves now lead the best-of-three series 1-0 and can advance with another victory Wednesday at Truist Park. For Riley, one swing immediately changed the tone of a season defined by offensive struggles and moved Atlanta within one win of its first postseason series victory since 2021, when the club went on to win the World Series championship.
The swing also continued Riley’s postseason reputation for late-game power, answering after Philadelphia went back in front 3-2 and putting the Truist Park crowd back into the game.
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