They did it. After a heartbreaking 5-3 defeat to the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the Wild Card series on Tuesday, heroics from Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm and Andrew Painter saved the season.
LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL ABS PAINTING 🎨 pic.twitter.com/2LtwMPc4J6
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 30, 2026
The Wild Card series now shifts to a rubber match on Thursday, and it will be for all of the marbles.
Ahead of a winner-take-all Game 3, which Phillies have the most pressure on them?
Trea Turner
Trea Turner immediately comes to mind as a Phillies bat that needs to step up on Thursday. Sure, he led off Game 2 with a double, but every dog has its day. His two-bagger aside, Trea is 0-for-7 with two strikeouts.
As a the leadoff hitter in those two games, his overall play has not been impressive, and serves as a carryover from his regular season, where he hit .242 with a .675 OPS.
Right now, what stands out in everyone's mind is the feeble first-pitch pop up in foul territory he hit in the top of the ninth inning with a runner on and two outs in Game 2. Luckily for Turner, Bohm and Painter were excellent in his stead.
Frustrations are out an all-time high with Turner, but he can change that perception with a big game in Game 3.
Aaron Nola
Don Mattingly said after Game 2 that Game 3 would be all hands on deck when it comes to the Phillies' pitching staff. As of now, Aaron Nola — on regular rest — is the scheduled starter for Philadelphia. Not including his inning of work against the Rays last weekend, Nola has been dominant since the beginning of August, owning a 2.52 ERA in 10 starts.
If he doesn't start, Nola is expected to see work in some capacity in Game 3, and Phillies fans will hope to see the playoff Nola of the past with the tension at an all-time high.
Zack Wheeler
While we won't known until the game unfolds, Zack Wheeler, on three days' rest, will most likely pitch for the Phillies in Game 3. The righty is coming off a dominant six-inning outing in which he allowed one run on 97 pitches to hep the Phillies clinch the playoffs for the fifth straight year.
No pitcher in the big leagues right now is hungrier to toe the rubber tomorrow than Wheeler. Even on short rest, the competitor in Wheeler will not let him ride the bench in a do-or-die game.
Wheeler just seems to thrive in these big games. While the pressure is on him to perform, the 36-year-old has delivered time and time again. Don't be shocked if he pitches multiple innings in Game 3.
Jhoan Duran
Jhoan Duran is primed for an oppurtunity to get revenge on the Braves following Austin Riley's game-winning three-run homer off the right-hander in Game 1.
Like his first five outs in Game 1 before the homer displayed, Duran is one of the most reliable relievers in the league and is definitely looking to get his status back against the Phillies' bitter rival.
Like Wheeler, Duran can handle the heat. Riley somehow muscled a 99.9-mph heater off him in Game 1, so if you’re Duran, you’ve got to tip your cap and move on.
Duran's 1.82 ERA, 33 saves, and 84 strikeouts in 61 appearances is a line that speaks for itself. There is no doubt Don Mattingly will hand him the ball in the later innings of Game 3.
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