The loss can’t just be chalked up to Rhys Hoskins’ and Zack Wheeler’s nightmare-ish sixth inning. After an offensive shelling in Game 1 on Tuesday, the Phillies were shut out on three hits Wednesday. The top of the lineup is not contributing. No. 1 hitter Kyle Schwarber and No. 2 hitter Hoskins, after Wednesday night, are hitting a combined 1-for-34 over four postseason games.

For most of the season, the Phillies have been able to lean on their unsung heroes, like Bryson Stott, Edmundo Sosa and Matt Vierling. But those guys can’t step up every night. And if the Phillies want to turn this series around, they’re going to have to.

» READ MORE: Braves finally get to Zack Wheeler to top Phillies, 3-0, and even NLDS 1-1

— Alex Coffey

You’re greedy. We get it.

You wanted this thing over in three games. You wanted Aaron Nola to lock it down Friday night. And you figured if anything was a sure thing in this crazy Phillies season, a Game 2 win was in the bag. Wheels was on the hill, the Phils had won three straight, and, dammit, it’s 11 long years.

You knew it, in your bones, that Phillies ace Zack Wheeler was going to outpitch Braves 21-game winner Kyle Wright.

We get it. It didn’t happen. The Phillies lost, 3-0, and they deserved to lose. They still can make Game 2 the last game played at Truist Park this season. They might need a gem from Nola on Friday, and they might need Kyle Gibson to resurrect himself Saturday, but Wednesday can be the last time anybody hears that racist Tomahawk Chop chant in 2022.

» READ MORE: Phillies should be glad to get a split despite Zack Wheeler’s loss in Game 2 of the NLDS

— Marcus Hayes

With Zack Wheeler and Kyle Wright on the hill, it was shaping up to be a pitchers’ duel in Atlanta on Wednesday night — and for the majority of the night, that’s precisely what happened.

Aside from a small blip in the sixth inning following Wheeler hitting Ronald Acuna and Rhys Hoskins letting an ensuing Matt Olson ground ball get past him, there was very little offense to be found at Truist Park, especially thanks to a pair of defensive gems from the left side of the Braves infield. The two teams combined for just three runs on seven hits, with all three of those runs coming for Atlanta in that ill-fated sixth inning on their way to a 3-0 win.

Now, the Phillies will head back to Citizens Bank Park after splitting the first two games of the NLDS and will send out Aaron Nola as they look to take back the series lead.

» READ MORE: Braves finally get to Zack Wheeler to top Phillies, 3-0, and even NLDS 1-1

— Matt Mullin

Sometimes it’s just not your night. And Wednesday night just isn’t the Phillies’ night.

Between this catch and the Dansby Swanson over-the-head catch earlier in the game, the baseball gods might just have it in for the Phillies in Game 2.

— Matt Mullin

Zack Wheeler retired the first nine batters of the game — and 16 of the first 17 — before running into a bit of trouble in the sixth. That would prove to be his final inning of the night, exiting with his team down 3-0 to the Braves.

His final line: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 79 pitches (51 strikes).

— Matt Mullin

The sixth inning unraveled on Wednesday night after Rhys Hoskins failed to corral a sharp grounder at first that would have ended the rally.

The play -- which was ruled a hit -- allowed the game’s first run to score. Austin Riley dropped a soft dribbler between the pitcher’s mound and third-base line that Zack Wheeler could not make a play on, allowing another run to score. A third run scored on a single by Travis d’Arnaud.

The ball Hoskins failed to field left the bat of Matt Olson at 101.3 mph and had an expected batting average of .280. But it still seemed playable.

All three runs scored after Wheeler retired the inning’s first two batters. The complexion of the inning -- and the tone of the crowd -- seemed to change after he hit Ronald Acuna Jr. in the right elbow. Soon, the Phillies were in a hole.

— Matt Breen

Nine up, nine down.

Zack Wheeler cruised in his first time through Atlanta’s order as he did not allow a baserunner in the first three innings. He needed just 27 pitches to retire the Braves in order. Wheeler looks sharp, just as he did during the Wild Card round in St. Louis.

Now, he just needs some run support. Atlanta starter Kyle Wright has been just as tough to crack and the Braves have won 16 of his last 17 starts.

— Matt Breen

After both Kyle Wright and Zack Wheeler each retired the opposing offense in order (and with relative ease) in the first inning, reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper led off the second inning with a leadoff double off Wright.

He then advanced to third on a sacrifice fly from Nick Castellanos, but a sharp groundout to first by Alec Bohm and a swinging strikeout from third left Harper stranded and the game scoreless.

It appears Wright has the Phillies’ number, which makes it even worse that they were unable to capitalize.

— Matt Mullin

First pitch was just after 7:30 p.m. — and it looks like the weather is finally cooperating.

— Matt Mullin

The Phillies will indeed play on Wednesday night as Game 2 of the National League Division Series against Atlanta will begin at 7:30 p.m. after a nearly three-hour rain delay.

Zack Wheeler will start for the Phillies against right-hander Kyle Wright, whose 21 wins this season led the majors. Thursday is a scheduled off day before Game 3 in Philadelphia on Friday at 4:37 p.m.

— Matt Breen

Rhys Hoskins scored easily from second base on Nick Castellanos’ single to left field in the fourth inning of the Phillies’ Game 1 win Tuesday, but Hoskins didn’t know how close the play might be. He only knew that Alec Bohm, the on-deck better, was signaling him to slide on the dugout side of the plate. Hoskins did his best.

He lumbered in at full speed — his full speed, anyway — dived … and landed about six inches short. It was the kind of landing a young pilot makes on a short runway. His momentum carried him the rest of the way home, where he slapped the plate with the Phillies’ sixth run.

Hoskins, at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, is the biggest position player on the team. His landing shook the rivets at Truist Park, and probably rattling some of his fillings, too.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson recalled the slide with a grin during his press conference Wednesday afternoon.

“It was a little rough, I would say,” chuckling along with his audience. “May have to get the sliding pads out and do a little work on it. But he scored, anyway.”

— Marcus Hayes

When Garrett Stubbs was playing with the Astros from 2019-2022, George Springer was their designated clubhouse DJ. Springer could be counted on to play the team’s playlist after wins as the players were filtering into the room. After Springer left for Toronto in 2021, Kyle Tucker replaced him. But no matter what, there was always a postgame vibes guy.

On the 2022 Phillies, Stubbs, the backup catcher, is that guy, and he has been since the beginning of the season. It wasn’t something designated by his teammates, but because of his proximity to the speaker, he always went out of his way to put on music after wins. One day, early in the season, the Phillies walked into a clubhouse after a win, and it was completely silent.

“Stubby, where’s the music?” Kyle Gibson asked.

At that point, Stubbs knew he was the DJ. And he has embraced it. He’s created a playlist — Phils Win on Spotify — that ranges from Elton John to Dua Lipa to Mickey Avalon to Alabama. It’s four hours and 26 minutes of pure chaos, because it isn’t just Stubbs who is adding to it. Gibson is a “big Dua Lipa fan” so he’s put some of her songs on the list. Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh account for most of the rap songs, according to Stubbs. Kyle Schwarber brought “Dancing On My Own - Tiesto Remix” by Calum Scott from the 2021 Red Sox, and now it is played after every win.

Here’s the behind-the-scenes story of how several of Stubbs’ teammates collaborated to create to their Phils Win playlist...

» READ MORE: ‘The Phils know how to party’: The legend of DJ Stubbs and the Phils Win playlist

— Alex Coffey

The Phillies and Braves might be playing in prime time, after all.

There is growing optimism for Game 2 of the National League Division Series to be played on Wednesday night with an estimated start time between 7:30 and 7:45 p.m. The Phillies, Braves, and league officials will meet again at 6 p.m. at Truist Park.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said earlier on Wednesday that they’re looking for a window to play the game without needing to stop for a delay. For now, the league thinks it has that. If so, Game 2 will be the only game of the series to begin in the evening as all five games were originally scheduled to begin before 5 p.m.

— Matt Breen

Kyle Schwarber was 0-for-12 with five strikeouts out of the leadoff spot in the first three games of the postseason. But the Phillies weren’t mulling any changes atop the order.

“I’ve given no thought to it because that’s who Schwarb is,” manager Rob Thomson said. “He goes through some down times. But when they’re good times and he’s hot, he’s as hot as anybody. So we’ll just wait it out.”

— Scott Lauber

Zach Eflin closed out each of the Phillies’ first three postseason games — victories all. But he allowed a run in Game 1 of the wild-card series in St. Louis, put the tying run on base in Game 2, and allowed a three-run homer in a too-close-for-comfort divisional series-opening win over the Braves.

Here, then, was the question facing the Phillies entering Wednesday’s rain-delayed Game 2: If they have a lead in the ninth inning, will they turn to Eflin again?

“He’s an end-of-the-game option, not necessarily the ninth inning,” manager Rob Thomson said. “If his pocket [of the Braves’ lineup] shows up in the ninth, I still have full confidence in him.”

Eflin’s struggles have coincided with Seranthony Domínguez’s resurgence. Domínguez has faced nine hitters in the postseason and retired them all, five by strikeout. He struck out Cardinals stars Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado in the eighth inning of Game 2, then mowed through the Braves lineup in Tuesday’s 7-6 victory.

Domínguez threw 18 pitches Tuesday. Would he be available in the Phillies and Braves are able to play Wednesday night?

“He said he was feeling great,” Thomson said. “We’re still being careful with him. He’s coming off [Tommy John elbow] surgery. But as of right now he’s available.”

— Scott Lauber

Who’s ready for a rain delay?

The first pitch of Game 2 of the Phillies’ divisional round series against the Atlanta Braves will be delayed by rain, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday. The game was supposed to start at 4:37 p.m., but it’s raining at Truist Park and the forecast is murky throughout the night.

No start time has been announced.

MLB officials are scheduled to meet with representatives from both clubs at 4 p.m., according to Phillies manager Rob Thomson.

“I think general consensus is that we will not start a game unless we feel like we can finish it,” Thomson said. “We’re not looking for delays. I don’t think anybody is — the Braves, us, Major League Baseball. If there’s a window there, we’ll go.”

The teams are scheduled to travel to Philadelphia on Thursday before resuming the series with Game 3 on Friday at Citizens Bank Park.

— Scott Lauber

Braves reliever Tyler Matzek will undergo Tommy John surgery after being left off Atlanta’s divisional series roster with an unspecified elbow injury, manager Brian Snitker told reporters Wednesday.

Matzek felt elbow discomfort after his last outing on Oct. 5, and was being evaluated in Texas when the decision was made that the procedure was necessary, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

— Rob Tornoe

In a rare case of baseball trumping the NFL, Sunday’s late-afternoon matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks will start late if the Seattle Mariners make it to Game 4.

The Mariners are scheduled to play the Houston Astros at 3:07 p.m. Eastern on TBS Sunday if the series makes it to Game 4 (the Astros are up 1-0 in the best-of-three series). If it’s needed, Cardinals-Seahawks will move back its kickoff from 4:05 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Fox, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The Phillies are scheduled to play Game 5 in Atlanta against the Braves on Sunday at 4:37 p.m. on FS1, if the series goes that far. That should allow the game to be over before the Eagles’ Sunday Night Football matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field kicks off at 8:20 p.m. on NBC.

— Rob Tornoe

The Phillies have announced their starting lineup for Game 2 versus the Braves, and there are two differences from Tuesday facing righty Kyle Wright:

Here’s the full lineup:

— Rob Tornoe

The Braves have announced their starting lineup for Game 2 versus the Phillies, and there are a couple notable moves:

Here’s the full lineup:

— Scott Lauber

It was just Matt Vierling’s fifth time at bat in the postseason, but it doesn’t take a degree in October Baseball to understand the importance of an extra 90 feet.

“You need every run you can get,” Vierling said Tuesday after the Phillies edged Atlanta in the opener of their National League Division Series. “We won, 7-6, so you can tell that it meant a lot to get every run that we could get.”

That’s why he ended his fifth postseason plate appearance with a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt — the first of his big-league career — to move Jean Segura to third after a leadoff double in the fifth inning. The sacrifice bunt became almost extinct this season after the National League adopted the designated hitter, but the Phillies have turned back the clock in the playoffs. It’s working.

Both of their sacrifice bunts — Bryce Harper laid one down in the third — led to runs and both were done without instruction from the dugout. The Phillies started the season with a lineup built to slug its way into October. But they turned Tuesday to an old-school, small-ball approach to do what it took to take Game 1.

“It seems like it’s a ‘Whatever it takes’ kind of thing,” first baseman Rhys Hoskins said. “We just have a general philosophy of, ‘Hey, you might be asked to do things that you haven’t done all season.’ But if we get opportunities with guys in scoring position, we feel pretty good about that.”

» READ MORE: Bryce Harper and the Phillies are making bunts cool again

— Matt Breen

Two Phillies fans that traveled down to Atlanta to watch Tuesday’s win were involved in an altercation with an angry Braves fan that was shared widely on social media.

Fox29′s Chris O’Connell caught up with the fans after the game to get their side of the story.

“He threw a drink in my face. He was yelling at me that I was disrespectful, but I was just trying to like play it cool, tell him I was just trying to watch the Phillies-Braves,” the fan said before the duo broke out into an E-A-G-L-E-S chant.

— Rob Tornoe

The Phillies have been on the road for more than two weeks but Zack Wheeler was able to enjoy some home cooking this week before the start of the National League Division Series in Atlanta.

“My wife made some dinner last night, so that was nice,” Wheeler, who grew up in nearby Smyrna, Ga, said before Tuesday’s 7-6 win.

Wheeler can put the Phillies ahead 2-0 in the series when he starts on Wednesday, pitching against the team he grew up rooting for as a kid. But he’s faced the Braves 24 times in his career and meeting them again — even in the postseason — seems like much ado about nothing for the right-hander.

» READ MORE: Zack Wheeler's rise from an Atlanta-area phenom to a Phillies ace

“Yeah, I’ve been here,” Wheeler said. “I’ve been to the old stadium. I made my debut over there. I feel like I’ve been playing against these guys forever, especially growing up watching them. It’s kind of cool coming back home every once in a while and just playing against these guys. They’ve got a really good team. It’s always a good test when you come in here, hop on the mound. I’m looking forward to it.”

Tuesday’s series-opening win was crucial because it creates the possibility that the Phillies can sweep the Braves behind their best two pitchers as Aaron Nola will start Friday when the team finally returns home. First, Wheeler has to take the mound at his home.

“Whoever wants to come can come,” Wheeler said. “I have my immediate family here. It’s been that way ever since I got called up back in the day. If you want to come, you can come. But my mom and dad, my wife and family are going to get the tickets.”

» READ MORE: Phillies’ Zack Wheeler ready to face the Braves, the team he grew up rooting for

— Scott Lauber

It’s already raining in Atlanta Wednesday morning, and the tarp is on the field at Truist Park ahead of Game 2 of the National League divisional series between the Phillies and Braves.

According to the National Weather Service, light showers will shift into scattered storms in the afternoon and evening, which could cause the start of the game to be delayed. Heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely later today, with a 70% chance of rain through the evening hours.

MLB is tracking the forecast closely, according to a spokesperson, but it’s too early to determine if the storms will have an impact on the schedule.

Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Eboni Deon had a suggestion for fans planning to head to Truist Park to watch the game? “Pack your patience,” she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

If the game has to be pushed to Thursday, there is a chance of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning before the clouds clear for the sun in the afternoon.

— Rob Tornoe

Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado heard chirping from the Braves’ dugout while he was pitching in the eighth inning in Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Tuesday. He said it was coming from his former teammate on the 2019 Tampa Bay Rays, outfielder Guillermo Heredia, who is now a bench player for Atlanta.

Alvarado said he heard Heredia laughing and shouting at him. Alvarado went on to retire the three Atlanta batters he faced on 11 pitches in the Phillies’ 7-6 victory. He said he told Heredia to be quiet as he was walking off the field.

“This guy, he needs to respect the game more,” Alvarado said after the game. “I come in focused in a situation in the game. I am not paying attention [to him], I don’t like that stuff that Heredia was saying to me. He needs to respect the pitcher when he comes into the situation because that moment is very serious. He’s laughing about the situation. You need to respect when we come into the game.

“Everybody thinks, ‘Oh, I want to attack Alvarado,’ because before my mentality was all crazy. But right now, nobody can change my mentality. Nobody. I’m focused. When we come into the game, I come in to hit the target. I don’t care who is hitting. Strike one, strike two, and good luck.”

» READ MORE: Phillies’ Jose Alvarado on Braves’ Guillermo Heredia chirping at him: ‘Respect the game’

— Alex Coffey

Victory songs aren’t anything new. Think back to the 2011 Flyers and their Mac Miller “Knock, Knock” anthem as they returned to the dressing room. Or, more recently, the St. Louis Blues adopted “Gloria” — which they discovered in a Philly bar, by the way — on their way to winning the 2019 Stanley Cup. And, of course, no Philly fan would ever forget the playoff anthem that helped the Eagles to their first Super Bowl: Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares.”

Heck, the Sixers might have the best victory song in all of sports right now.

Enter the Phillies, who have opened the postseason with three straight wins after clinching a postseason berth on one of the season’s final days. By this point, you’ve probably heard about their song. The one that the players all blast at the top of their lungs in the clubhouse after a satisfying victory. It’s called “Dancing On My Own” by Calum Scott and Tiesto.

But that’s hardly the only victory song for the Phillies. In fact, they have an entire playlist. And it’s curated by an unlikely source: backup catcher Garrett Stubbs, as Alex Coffey uncovered following the team’s Game 1 win over the Braves on Tuesday.

We’d love to embed the entire playlist below, but there are more than a few tracks whose title’s alone disqualify them from inclusion here — I’m looking at you, Trey Lewis and Tenacious D— and others where the lyrics are simply too NSFW to be shared in this space.

If you want to head over and check out the full playlist, which really runs the gamut from pop to country to rap to house to old school — and does include “Dreams and Nightmares” for all you Eagles sickos — click right here for the full Spotify playlist, courtesy of Stubbs.

— Matt Mullin

Following Tuesday’s win, reporters asked Nick Castellanos about his sliding catch in the ninth inning that helped preserve the Phillies’ victory in Game 1. He didn’t disappoint.

“Well, I saw him swing, and then I saw him hit it. It was just going towards me and I ran and caught it as best I could, and it worked out,” Castellanos said succinctly.

» READ MORE: Nick Castellanos delivered with his bat and his glove in Phillies Game 1 win

— Rob Tornoe

What channel is Phillies-Braves on?

Phillies-Braves Game 2 is scheduled to begin at 4:35 p.m. Eastern on Fox.

Calling the Phillies-Braves series is Joe Davis, the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Spectrum SportsNet LA. He’s joined by Hall of Famer John Smoltz, with Ken Rosenthal reporting from the stadium.

If you’re looking for a little Philly flair in the broadcast, you could always tune into 94.1 WIP, Longtime Phillies announcer Scott Franzke is calling the game alongside Larry Andersen, who was a member of the Phillies team that defeated the Braves in the 1993 National League Championship Series.

Bill Kulik and Oscar Budejen will call Phillies-Braves in Spanish on La Unika 1680 AM. The game will also air on TV in Spanish on Fox Deportes, with Carlos Alvarez and Jaime Motta on the call.

Where can I stream Phillies-Braves?

Phillies-Braves will stream on the Fox Sports app, though it will only be available to those with a cable subscription.

The game will also stream on any so-called skinny bundle that carries Fox, including fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and DirecTV Stream. Most offer a free trial.

If you’re looking to stream the game for free, your best option if you live near Philadelphia is to use an over-the-air antenna. But that won’t work beginning with Game 3 on Friday, when the games shift from Fox to FS1.

— Rob Tornoe

Unlike yesterday, there’s only one other playoff game taking place Wednesday.

The San Diego Padres will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of their National League divisional series at 8:37 p.m. on FS1. Calling that game will be Adam Amin and AJ Pierzynski.

The American League divisional series games will resume on Thursday as the Phillies and Braves travel to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday:

— Rob Tornoe