Bryce Harper said the Philadelphia Phillies came up short in the postseason again after losing Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series to the Atlanta Braves, 6-2. Harper stated, 'You're here to do business. You're here to win games, and we didn't do that,' following the elimination that marked the Phillies' fifth consecutive postseason exit.
The Braves advanced to the NLDS thanks to strong performances from Ray Kerr, who pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings as an opener, and Michael Harris II, who hit a three-run homer off Zack Wheeler. Philadelphia forced a Game 3 with late heroics in Game 2 but fell into an early hole and could not recover. The Phillies' core of Harper, Kyle Schwarber, J.
T. Realmuto, Wheeler, and Aaron Nola has made five straight playoff appearances averaging 91 wins per year but has not won a championship since 2008. Interim manager Don Mattingly, who took over after Rob Thomson's April 28 firing, deflected questions about his future, saying it was not the time to discuss it.
Nola expressed belief in the team's capability but stressed the need to 'play good at the right time.' Philadelphia had previously eliminated Atlanta in the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 despite the Braves winning the NL East those years, but this year Atlanta reversed the outcome with clutch hitting and pitching.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing