Phillies stay hot, hold on to upset Braves in Game 1 of NLDS

The Philadelphia Phillies continue to look like a team of destiny. Entering Game 1 of the NLDS vs. the Atlanta Braves, the Phils were big underdogs going up against the defending champions. Now, the Phillies have made the Braves look like underdogs. Philly held on for a 7-6 win in Game 1 on Tuesday afternoon to take an early lead in the best-of-5 series.

The Braves were hovering around -190 and -200 on the moneyline to win Game 1 on DraftKings Sportsbook. After dropping the opener of the series, the Phillies are now up to +275 to come out of the National League. It may be a bit of an overreaction. The Braves should bounce back and make this a series. Atlanta entered the series -180 to win and advance to the NLCS again.

It’s also worth noting the Phillies have used their bullpen a lot in the postseason so far. Ranger Suarez only lasted 3.1 inning in Game 1. Six other pitchers were used by Philly. Nick Castellanos and the offense led the way early. He finished 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI in the win. Bryce Harper went 3-for-3 with a double and run scored.

The Braves almost had enough offense and the difference in the game ended up being a sac fly in the 5th for Philadelphia. Matt Olson made it 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth with a 3-run shot. Ronald Acuna Jr. went 3-for-4 and Travis d’Arnaud was 2-for-5 with three RBI, a double and a HR. Max Fried struggled again to start the postseason, only lasting 3.1 innings, allowing six runs (four ER) with just two strikeouts.

Game 2 of the series is set for Wednesday in Atlanta with Zack Wheeler starting for the Phillies and Kyle Wright for the Braves. The game is at 4:35 p.m. ET on FOX.