Aaron Nola’s performance in the Phillies postseason has allowed him to see his full potential. And in Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park, he had the chance to experience how much the Philly fan base appreciates that.

In the seventh inning the crowd clapped and chanted, giving an ovation to the eight-year veteran, who was then relieved by José Alvarado.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been in the playoffs here obviously, so to see the fans like what they were tonight is awesome,” Nola said. “And the hitters, what they did tonight as well just sparked it up even more... It was pretty cool, pretty cool that the fans stood up for me right there.”

Nola has put the September narrative behind him. He knows the numbers, he’s aware of the stats, some could say bad luck struck him on the mound. However, after he threw six scoreless innings in Game 1 of the Wild Card round and only allowed one run in Game 3 of the NLDS, he has a new role in October.

“I try to treat tonight just like every other start,” Nola said. “Try not to be anybody I’m not trying to be, try not to do anything I’m not capable of doing.”

Lately, that’s been more than enough.

— Isabella DiAmore

Bryce Harper, who also hit a two-run homer shortly after Rhys Hoskins broke the game open with his three-run shot in the third inning, felt the team really erupted following Bryson Stott’s clutch RBI double that got the scoring started.

“[After Stott,] Rhys comes up, hits the three-point shot and it kind of just snowballs from there,” Harper said. “Having a rookie be able to do that for us is absolutely huge.”

And that early barrage — combined with Aaron Nola’s pitching — have the Phillies on the cusp of advancing.

“One game away. I mean, this is what it’s all about,” Harper added. “We have an opportunity to clinch at home. We have the opportunity to come out and hopefully strike first. The crowd tonight was incredible, absolutely insane, electric — nothing that I could have ever dreamed about.”

But being in the position they are in isn’t any surprise to the slugger. Harper noted every time they took the field, advancing was the number one priority. The Phillies knew they had to get through 20 days on the road, but now they hope to utilize the home field advantage and clinch the series in South Philly.

“We’re all excited for that opportunity tomorrow,” Harper said. “We can’t wait. We’re excited to be back home. We’re excited to be back in front of this fan base. And like I said, we want to be able to do this for the next two weeks.”

— Isabella DiAmore

Rhys Hoskins had quite the game for himself, one that almost seemed needed.

He slammed a three-run homer in the third inning that rallied the crowd, decked out in red and white, waving their towels in the air as they chanted, “Let’s go Phillies!”

But it was what led up to that moment that made it more special.

Hoskins was 0-for-9 with three strikeouts against the St. Louis Cardinals, then in Game 1 against the Braves he had his first hit of the postseason but was 0-for-4 in Game 2 and drew criticism from fans for his misplay that later resulted in a three-run inning for the Braves.

When asked if his struggles at plate fueled the energy of his performance today, Hoskins said downplayed the notion.

“I think we’re at this point, that if you need something like that for fuel [you’re] probably not in a good position.”

“At the end of the day, it’s about winning games as a team for the Philadelphia Phillies,” Hoskins added. “Sure, a couple of things have gone awry, and the results haven’t been [there] at the plate, but I think the thing about being a good team is that you’re able to absorb mistakes.”

— Isabella DiAmore

Rob Thomson said Aaron Nola’s curveball tonight was the best he’s ever seen.

“I don’t think you can say enough about it,” the Phillies manager said after the win. “I mean, his stuff, his makeup, his toughness, resiliency, he has done it all.”

Thomson was glad to see Nola, who’s been with the team since 2015, be on the winning side after some past difficult performances in September. But since the calendar’s turned to October and the postseason started, he’s been on fire.

“Aaron’s been here a long time and pitched in the Cy Young conversation every year almost,” Thomson said. “But hasn’t had the playoff start to show for it until this year.”

Nola looked sharp throughout, and allowed one unearned run on five hits, two walks, and threw six strikeouts in six-plus innings.

Noah Syndergaard will start at the mound tomorrow for Game 4, making his first postseason start of the year and his second appearance overall in these playoffs. In his career, Syndergaard has made four postseason starts (six total appearances) and is 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA.

— Isabella DiAmore

With apologies to Rhys Hoskins, whose three-run home run and emphatic one-handed bat spike will forever exist as one of the iconic moments in Phillies postseason history, the performance that bodes most well for Game 4 was the one turned in by Harper.

The echoes from Hoskins’ third-inning blast had barely subsided when Harper stepped to the plate and launched a 400-plus-foot blast into the right-center seats. He narrowly missed another home run in the seventh inning, his shot to deep center field bouncing off the wall for an RBI double.

After a brutal September, Harper now has five extra-base hits in his last four playoff games. We’ve seen how completely he can carry a team when he is hitting everything. Right now, he is not missing much.

» READ MORE: Reasons to believe in a Phillies Game 4 clinch: Bryce Harper, home cooking, history and more

— David Murphy

Years from now, when they roll highlights from the 2022 Phillies’ postseason run, the clip of Rhys Hoskins demolishing a ball into the left-field seats, raising both arms, and spiking his bat — and let’s be clear: this was a Jalen Hurts-quality spike — will play prominently.

As it should. Aside from being the biggest hit of Hoskins’ career and sending the Phillies on to a 9-1 thrashing of the Atlanta Braves in pivotal Game 3 of the best-of-five National League Division Series, it may have been the blast that broke the defending World Series champions.

But if we’re talking about the moment when playoff baseball truly returned to Citizens Bank Park after an 11-year absence, when the decibel levels at the yard in South Philly rose like they hadn’t since, what, Roy Halladay’s no-hitter in the 2010 NLDS, you have to rewind the tape by two batters.

You have to go back to Bryson Stott.

» READ MORE: Phillies ride Aaron Nola, Rhys Hoskins to 9-1 win over Braves and move one win from NLCS

— Scott Lauber

Time for some music...

And ICYMI, there’s a full Phils Win Spotify playlist that’s curated by DJ Garrett Stubbs and some friends...

— Matt Mullin

It didn’t look like it was going to be easy early on, as Braves starter Spencer Strider sat down the first six Phillies in order. Then the runs started — and they kept on coming as the Phillies gave Aaron Nola and the bullpen more than enough run support.

The Phillies can close out the series in Game 4 on Saturday, and the team that wins Game 3 of a 1-1 best-of-five series goes on to win more than 70% of the time.

That’s exactly where the Phillies wanted to be — not back in Atlanta for a decisive Game 5.

— Matt Mullin

The Phillies are having some fun with crooked numbers in Game 3.

After scoring six in the third inning, the Phillies put up three runs in the seventh inning, starting with Bryce Harper nearly hitting his second home run of the game.

This was Harper’s third RBI of the game after previously hitting a two-run homer in the third and made it a 7-1 Phillies’ lead.

Not to be outdone, Nick Castellanos came to the plate next and drove in both Harper and J.T. Realmuto, to put to the Phillies up 9-1 heading into the eighth inning.

Maybe save some for tomorrow?

— Matt Mullin

Aaron Nola, once known for his struggles in September, seems to enjoy pitching in October.

He allowed just one run -- which was unearned -- over six innings and has not allowed a run in 191/3 innings this month over three starts. Nola struck out six, walked two, and allowed five hits.

He didn’t face much trouble until the sixth inning when Dansby Swanson led off with a double and Matt Olson walked. Nola seemed to escape the jam by striking out Austin Riley and inducing a double-play grounder from Travis d’Arnaud. But Rhys Hoskins dropped the throw at first from Jean Segura. But the error only cost the Phils’ a run as Nola forced Marcell Ozuna to ground out after Michael Harris hit an RBi single.

Nola’s first start this month was the win in Houston that sent the Phillies to the postseason. He then blanked the Cardinals for 62/3 innings in the Wild Card clincher and delivered again against the defending World Champs. Manager Rob Thomson labeled him earlier this month as a “Big-game pitcher.” He’s proving to be an October pitcher.

— Matt Breen

Aaron Nola allowed one unearned run in the sixth inning — and is still responsible for the runner on first — but manager Rob Thomson lifted him from the game after he allowed a leadoff single in the seventh.

Jose Alvarado took over in relief.

— Matt Mullin

Aaron Nola and the Phillies should’ve been out of the sixth inning with a routine 6-4-3 double play. Then Rhys Hoskins, well, did this.

Of course, that not only added to Aaron Nola’s already climbing pitch count, but it also led to the Braves first run of the game.

Luckily, the Phillies were able to get out of the inning on the next batter, limiting the damage. But there was action in the bullpen, meaning Nola’s night could be nearing an end despite allowing just one unearned run.

— Matt Mullin

Rhys Hoskins raised his hands, screamed at his dugout, and spiked his bat. He didn’t flip it. He spiked it. Then he trotted around the bases, having turned a 1-0 lead a 4-0 lead with a Big Hoss swing that directed a baseball at 107.3-mph some 394 feet away.

Redemption, for the moment, was his.

Rhys Hoskins needed this. He hadn’t done much good in the playoffs; 1-for-19 with seven strikeouts, shaky at first base, as usual. Things were going poorly.

Rhys Hoskins deserved this. He’d been the voice of the Phillies for all six of his seasons, even after Bryce Harper arrived in 2019.

He’d already been booed three times Friday evening.

Phillies fans attending their first home playoff game in 11 years, when Hoskins was a freshman in college, booed him lightly when he was introduced before the game, residual ire from his Game 2 miscue, when he failed to field a hot grounder that led to the Braves’ win that evened the National League Division Series on Wednesday.

He got booed again when, as the Phillies’ No. 2 hitter, he fanned on a 98.4-mph fastball from Spencer Strider, the favorite for National League Rookie of the Year. And again, in the third, when he fell on his butt trying to pick Alec Bohm’s errant throw from third.

Now, in the third, he came to the plate insulted. The Braves had intentionally walked Kyle Schwarber, who’d led the league in homers but who, at the moment, was at least as cold as Hoskins. Bryson Stott had doubled at the end of a nine-pitch at-bat, which left first base open, which meant the Braves were so certain of Hoskins’ failure that they were willing to risk another early run.

Rhys Hoskins needed this. Rhys Hoskins deserved this. Rhys Hoskins got it.

» READ MORE: Rhys Hoskins deserved a magical playoff moment. And he got it with one swing in Game 3.

— Marcus Hayes

Something must be in the air — or maybe it’s the home crowd — stirring up the Phillies bats at Citizens Bank Park.

Immediately after the team chased starter Spencer Strider from the game following J.T. Realmuto’s single (that follow Rhy Hoskins’ three-run homer), Bryce Harper blasted a two-run home run out to right field of Strider’s replacement, Dylan Lee, giving the Phillies a 6-0 lead.

After cruising through the first two innings, Spencer Strider allowed three hits and five runs in the third.

— Isabella DiAmore

Rhys Hoskins slammed a deep three-run homer to left field, scoring Bryson Stott and Kyle Schwarber to increase the Phillies’ lead to 4-0.

Hoskins, who was silent in the Phillies wild card series against the St. Louis Cardinals, hit his first homer of the postseason. And it was a big one.

— Isabella DiAmore

Brandon Marsh led off the first inning with a walk, then made what might’ve been the bigger play by going from first to third on an errant throw over to first from Braves pitcher Spencer Strider. After a long at bat by Jean Segura, Bryson Stott put together a long at bat of his own and capped it off with an RBI double to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead.

— Matt Mullin

Alec Bohm made a heck of a grab on this hot shot down the third base line, but an errant throw cost him the out at first.

To be fair, Rhys Hoskins should be able to dig that out of the dirt, even on the intermediate hop. And if not, it would at least be nice if he didn’t look like a floundering fish trying to find the ball and tag Ronald Acuna Jr. out.

The good news is Nola was able to get out of the third inning without any damage.

— Matt Mullin

Aaron Nola opened the second inning by proving exactly what Rob Thomson has said throughout the week, despite this being Nola’s first trip to the postseason: “He’s a playoff kind of pitcher.”

Nola threw just ten pitches in the second and went 1-2-3, striking out the Braves sixth through eighth hitters with a searing curveball.

— Isabella DiAmore

Spencer Strider had not pitched in nearly a month but the Atlanta starter didn’t seem rusty -- or hindered by the oblique injury that sidelined him -- during Friday’s first inning.

Strider needed just 14 pitches to retire Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, and J.T. Realmuto in order. His fastball topped out at 100.6 mph and he blew the pitch past Hoskins and Realmuto for back-to-back strikeouts. The Phillies struggled this season against Strider, who had a 1.27 ERA in four games against them.

For them, the good news is that Strider is only expected to pitch a couple innings before yielding to the bullpen.

— Matt Breen

It took 17 pitches and required working out of a two on-two out situation (which was started by a leadoff single from Ronald Acuna Jr.), but Aaron Nola was able to get Travis d’Arnaud to ground out on a dribbler back to the mound to get out of the jam and keep the game scoreless.

— Matt Mullin

Just 20 days ago, when the Phillies were playing the Braves, Corey Phelan walked on to the dirt behind the Citizens Bank Park batting cage a few hours before the game.

Phelan, who signed with the Phillies as a minor league free agent in 2020, was battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in Manhattan, and had recently visited the team when they were in New York to play the Mets. But he preferred watching the Phillies at home, and tried to make it to the ballpark as often as he could.

He spotted pitchers Zach Eflin and Kyle Gibson and briefly said hello. Phelan was diagnosed in April and had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for a few months. His doctors initially told him he would receive treatment for two years, but lately, he’d been feeling better, and was optimistic that he could return to the field as soon as 2023.

He told Eflin that he would undergo one more round of treatment, and could get cleared a month after that. But over the past week, things took a bad turn. On Wednesday night, Phelan passed away at 20 years old.

The Phillies held a moment of silence for Phelan before Game 3 of the NLDS against the Braves on Friday, but beyond that, Eflin said the Phillies will play in his honor moving forward.

“That’s a common denominator on this team — we’re going to do this for Corey,” he said. “We’re going to play hard like we always do, but with Corey on our minds.”

» READ MORE: Zach Eflin says the Phillies are ‘going to do this’ for Corey Phelan, who died of cancer

— Alex Coffey

The energy at Citizens Bank Park was nothing short of electric Friday afternoon with fans of all ages sporting their best Phillies gear.

One fan rushed to the entrance of the ballpark shouting, “There’s something in the air, hope in the hearts!”

Meanwhile, some fans searched for last minute tickets, while the Phanatic crushed an Atlanta Braves helmet before hundreds of passionate fans.

Leo Palermo celebrated his 12th birthday with his 10 year old brother Jake and parents, Kim and Jason. The children who joked they had no choice but be Phillies fans because of their parents, adding, they wouldn’t want it any other way.

The Vorhees, New Jersey family made sure to get good seats for the occasion to increase their chances of catching a baseball and the boys came prepared with their mitts.

But ball or not, the youngest Palermo considered the day a win. The family signed a double decker bus with well wishes for the team and leave school early.

“And it’s the first time they’ve been in the playoffs since I’ve been alive,” said Jake.

» READ MORE: Phillies fans welcome back playoff baseball at Citizens Bank Park

— Ximena Conde

It will be the Phillies’ easiest decision of the offseason. Pick up Aaron Nola’s 2023 option? Of course.

But what about a contract extension?

Nola, who will start the Phillies’ first home playoff game since Oct. 7, 2011, had the second-best year of his career, posting a 3.25 ERA and 235 strikeouts in 205 innings. Then, he rewrote the narrative that he doesn’t rise to the moment late in the season. Not only did he pitch 6 2/3 scoreless innings Oct. 3 in Houston to win the game that clinched the Phillies’ first playoff spot since 2011, but he threw another 6 2/3 scoreless innings in the series-clincher in the wild-card round in St. Louis.

With a solid outing Friday, Nola could pitch the Phillies to the brink of the NL Championship Series.

“He’s worth every penny,” manager Rob Thomson said the other day.

The Phillies hold a $16 million option on Nola for next year. In July, a week before the trade deadline, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said “there’s a pretty good chance” that it would be exercised “if he keeps pitching the way he is and he’s healthy.”

But it’s possible the Phillies could discuss extending Nola’s contract before he’s able to sniff free agency. I

t’s unclear what a potential deal would look like, although San Diego right-hander Joe Musgrove’s recent five-year, $100 million extension may be a fair comparison. Musgrove is seven months older than Nola and has a 3.79 career ERA and 1.169 WHIP, compared to Nola’s 3.60 and 1.125 marks. The difference: Nola has been far more durable, throwing 1,228 innings compared to Musgrove’s 859.

— Scott Lauber

The Phillies aren’t set to play the Atlanta Braves until 4:37 p.m. but that didn’t stop hundreds of fans from lining up to enter Citizens Bank Park before 2 p.m.

For Ridley resident and season-ticket holder Dawn Boyle, 48, being one of the first to enter the stadium was about getting situated and enjoying the pregame festivities, like seeing the Phanatic’s antics. She was present during the Phillies’ 2008 playoff run and the last time there was playoff baseball in Philly more than a decade ago.

Like so many others, Boyle’s fandom is passed down from a relative — her mother.

“She loved them so much,” said Boyle, recalling how her mom would always get the names of players slightly wrong in the ‘80s.

Boyle’s mother died in 2013 but baseball still unites them.

“I’ve been praying to her for these wins,” Boyle said. “Her birthday was the 8th [when the Phillies played the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild-card series]. I said that day you need a win for me. So she gave it to me.”

As stadium security looked ready to allow people in, Boyle gathered a sign that read “high hopes” and a cutout of Shane Victorino’s head. The former Phillie is throwing out the first pitch. Boyle joined the rest of the people in front of the lines in applause before getting scanned and collecting her “Red October” hand towel.

— Ximena Conde

Walking into the clubhouse, Rob Thomson said the atmosphere is usually upbeat, but even more so today since the Phillies are back in home territory.

”Those guys in the dugout or in the clubhouse mess around all the time,” Thomson said. “But I feel like there’s a little bit more energy today. They’re really looking forward to getting out on this field and getting in front of our fans.

“They’ve never really done that before – not here, so I think we’re really excited.”

When asked if players like Kyle Schwarber, who has significant postseason experience, have offered their perspective to the team about playing in a game like today, Thomson said: “Sure…but so far, we’ve got a lot of guys that haven’t played in the playoffs and they’ve played really well.

”I’m sure guys are asking questions about it, I’m sure he’s giving them advice. I don’t think it’s imperative, but I think it helps to have this type of experience in this type of atmosphere, these types of moments.”

— Isabella DiAmore

Realmuto is confident in Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola, especially in the playoffs, when he’s come in clutch during the moments the Phillies needed him the most.

“We need the best version of him and that’s exactly what he’s delivered,” Realmuto said prior to Game 3. “He just has command of all his pitches, which he normally does, but even more so these last couple of starts.

“He’s done a good job of mixing it up, keeping hitters off balance, and you don’t know he’s going to attack the strike zone. He strikes a lot of guys out, but then he doesn’t walk anybody, so in games that matter like this… He makes it really hard on the opposing hitters to get on base.”

» READ MORE: Aaron Nola excited to finally experience a home playoff game as the Phillies’ Game 3 starter

— Isabella DiAmore

J.T. Realmuto ranked the uniqueness of the Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider fastball near the top.

“He’s thrown at 97 to 100, but its got a good spin rate, good carry,” Realmuto said. “Then he’s also got a short arm action…He does a good job of mixing the slider in and controlling strikes. He’ll throw the slider behind in the count. He just mixes so well it makes it tough on hitters.”

Strider finished the regular season on the injury list due to an oblique strain and hasn’t pitched in 26 days.

— Isabella DiAmore

Phillies reliever José Alvarado didn’t like the chirping he heard from the Braves dugout during the Phillies 7-6 Game 1 win in Atlanta, particularly the noise coming from his former teammate in Tampa Bay, outfielder Guillermo Heredia.

Alvarado retired all three Braves he faced on 11 pitches and then signaled to Heredia and the Atlanta dugout to be quiet.

Following the game, Alvarado explained the interaction and his philosophy on the mound.

“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.”

That last line is so good that he decided to put it on a t-shirt, which he modeled prior to Game 3.

And guess what, you can buy one for yourself.

— Matt Mullin and Alex Coffey

Despite not previously knowing the Braves’ Game 3 starting pitcher — it has since been announced as Spencer Strider — outfielder Brandon Marsh said the Phillies’ preparation would be the same.

“We’re just going to come in [Friday] and get on our hitting side that sets our game plan then,” Marsh said. “I think we’re going to take advantage of today. Rest our bodies, so we can all come ready for [Friday].”

Friday will mark Marsh’s first postseason game at home with the Phillies. He said it feels great to be playing in front of a sold-out crowd at Citizens Bank Park after a long road trip.

“I’ve been warned it’s going to get rowdy,” Marsh said. “I’m looking forward to it. I love a good atmosphere like that, so I know I can speak for all my teammates as well: We’re all looking forward to it. We’re excited for it to be loud.”

» READ MORE: Aaron Nola excited to finally experience a home playoff game as the Phillies’ Game 3 starter

— Isabella DiAmore

Pat Burrell will throw the ceremonial first pitch Saturday before Game 4 of the National League Division Series, the Phillies announced.

The selection of Burrell will continue a theme, intended or not, of World Series-winning outfielders uncorking first pitches for the Phillies’ first home playoff games since 2011. Shane Victorino is expected to throw the first pitch prior to Game 3, which is scheduled to begin at 4:37 p.m. Friday.

Burrell, 46, spent nine seasons with the Phillies after being drafted first overall in 1998. He batted .257/.367/.485 and hit 251 of his 292 career homers with the club from 2000-08. Burrell’s crowning achievement with the Phillies came in his final act. He doubled to open the seventh inning in the resumption of Game 5 of the World Series. Pinch-runner Eric Bruntlett scored what wound up as the decisive run in the 4-3 victory.

Two days later, Burrell rode at the front of the Phillies’ victory parade.

— Scott Lauber

Last week on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, Mike Tirico made it pretty clear he wanted to be in the stands Friday night for Game 3 between the Phillies and Atlanta Braves.

“If anyone wants any company for the Phillies game on Friday, call us,” Tirico said during the Bengals-Ravens game. “I’ll buy you a beer and a dog.”

Tirico is in town to call Sunday night’s highly-anticipated Eagles-Cowboys matchup at the Linc. He’s also planning to attend this weekend’s Premier League Fan Fest at Dilworth Park. But mostly, he’s planning on being in the stands at Citizens Bank Park tonight.

“I got about two dozen messages on social media and from people I know,” Tirico told the Inquirer. “Four or five people reached out and said, “Hey I’ll take up up on that beer and hot dog offer.’”

“I have reached out to a couple of folks who I know to try to get some tickets. If the game doesn’t conflict with our Eagles meetings, I will absolutely be there,” Tirico added. “The one thing I am still at 55 is a massive sports fans, and if I have the chance to be in Philly and go to a baseball playoff game, I will be out there in a beer and a ball cap and loving every second of it.”

» READ MORE: NBC’s Mike Tirico talks Eagles-Cowboys, going to the Phillies game, and his two lifelong Philly TV friends

— Rob Tornoe

Despite that fact that Spencer Strider is coming off of an injury and hasn’t pitched much of late, it’s hard not to be impressed with what the Ohio native has cooked up this season. Strider has logged a 2.67 ERA in 131.2 innings and his peripheral data suggests he’s earned that statline, and perhaps deserves a bit better.

How Strider reacts to the biggest start in his career after a month layoff is hard to project, but the numbers all sparkle.

Strider will likely need to bring his A-game, because he won’t have much margin for error against Aaron Nola. The longest-tenured Phillie posted a 3.25 ERA to go along with a 2.74 xERA and 2.77 xFIP in 205 innings of work in the regular season and then backed that up with 6.2 scoreless innings in Game 2 of the Wild Card Round against the Cardinals.

The fact that the Braves bullpen will take over in the fourth or fifth inning may not seem ideal for a bet on the under in the first five innings, but it does give Atlanta the flexibility to get favorable matchups as we flip through the order the second time.

Take the under for the first half Friday afternoon.

» READ MORE: Phillies vs. Braves NLDS Game 3 prediction: Expect a pitchers’ duel

— Michael Leboff, The Action Network

At last, the Phillies know which Braves pitcher they will face Friday: Spencer Strider.

Strider, a hard-throwing rookie right-hander, will get the ball in Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park. He dominated the Phillies in the regular season, allowing three runs in 21⅓ innings and racking up 34 strikeouts. But he also hasn’t pitched since Sept. 18 because of a strained oblique muscle in his side.

It’s unclear how many innings Strider can give the Braves, although it would seem the bullpen may need to carry a heavy load. Strider, who had a 2.67 ERA in 131⅔ innings this season, threw a bullpen session Tuesday in Atlanta.

The Braves held off on naming a starter until Friday morning. With Strider getting the nod, they announced that postseason veteran Charlie Morton will start Game 4 on Saturday.

Aaron Nola is scheduled to start Game 3 for the Phillies, who have not yet announced a Game 4 starter. It’s likely the Phillies will lean heavily on the bullpen in Game 4.

» READ MORE: Braves to start Spencer Strider in Game 3, Charlie Morton in Game 4

—Scott Lauber

It seems like The Philly Captain (his real name is Jon McCann) has been everywhere during the Phillies’ postseason run. On Friday morning, he was on PHL17 discussing which was better — the Phillies’ current playoff run or his own children.

Meanwhile, on Fox 29, the viral Phillies fan that became known simply as “The Fightins’ Guy” made an appearance outside of Citizens Bank Park this morning. Guess what he said?

» READ MORE: Why the Phillies’ successes might have you feeling happier, even if you’re not a fan, according to psychologists

— Rob Tornoe

Since becoming a Phillies fan in 2012, Dave Shaw of Southampton, England, has booked a week off every October, just in case the Phillies made it to the playoffs.

“Usually, by the end of September I’ll go into work and say, ‘I don’t need that week off anymore, guys,’” Shaw, 36, said.

But this wasn’t a usual year.

For the first time in Shaw’s decade-long fandom, the Phillies are in the playoffs, and Shaw is in Philly to catch his first postseason home game at Citizens Bank Park on Friday.

“I want to live every second of it,” he said. “I’m going to be a bag of emotions because I’ve always wanted to see the Phillies in Red October, and to finally experience it is going to be surreal. It’s going to be crazy.”

Shaw fell in love with the team when he took a road trip across the U.S., in 2012, and stopped to visit a friend in Philly, who had tickets to a game.

“The first time I came here and I saw the complex and the fans’ passion I just knew this was it for me,” he said.

In 2017, Shaw started a UK Phillies Facebook group and Twitter account, which is currently followed by more than 11,000 people. He began hosting meetups of fans at London’s Philly-themed sports bar, Passyunk Avenue. Shaw also travels back to the States every year (except for during the pandemic) to catch at least one Phillies game.

Being a Phillies fan abroad this year has been “a roller coaster,” he said.

“The intensity I’ve experienced watching these games is like nothing I’ve ever experienced,” Shaw said. “The series against the Cards was just incredible. I’ve never celebrated at 4 in the morning so much in my life. It was absolute euphoria.”

» READ MORE: He flew 3,500 miles to see the Phillies and may not even be the most dedicated fan

— Stephanie Farr

Having shaken the storminess out of its system on Thursday, the atmosphere over Citizens Bank Park should be at its near-best behavior on Friday when the Phillies host their first playoff game in 11 years.

If you’re going to the game, a sweater or light jacket will do fine, and leave the rain gear home.

The sky should be a classic October deep blue with minimal cloud traffic, said Matthew Brudy, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly.

The forecast suggests that Friday is going to be a good time to be a fan or a pitcher, but not necessarily a rightfielder, at least in the early going. When the game starts at 4:37 p.m., the sun’s remains of the day will be beaming directly toward right field.

The game-time temperature is expected to be in the low 60s, falling toward the upper 50s after sunset. The wind will be all but a no-show, drifting from the left-field line toward right at under 5 mph.

Don’t bring the umbrella or poncho: The National Weather Service has the chance of rain at absolutely zero throughout the game.

» READ MORE: For Phillies fans, it’s a red-sweater day, and pitchers should like the forecast

— Anthony R. Wood

In splitting the first two games, the Phillies also achieved the goal of most road teams in a short series. Pick off a game in the other team’s ballpark, seize home-field advantage, and take your chances. That’s the objective.

But when you come at the champs, you best not miss. And it’s tough to shake the feeling that, well, maybe the Phillies did.

Despite Wednesday’s loss, the Phillies love their chances with Aaron Nola in Game 3. But now, they will need to rely on the underbelly of the pitching staff in Game 4 Saturday and possibly Game 5, which would be back in Atlanta on Sunday.

Thomson hasn’t named a Game 4 starter and doesn’t intend to until the Phillies get through Game 3. But he will have to choose from among Noah Syndergaard, rookie lefty Bailey Falter, and veteran right-hander Kyle Gibson — or some combination thereof. Falter hasn’t pitched since Oct. 5, and as a team, the Braves hit lefties better than righties in the regular season. Gibson had a 9.73 ERA over his final six starts.

» READ MORE: The Phillies can still topple the champs, but they can’t waste another chance

— Scott Lauber

What channel is Phillies-Braves on?

Phillies-Braves Game 3 is scheduled to begin at 4:37 p.m. Eastern on FS1.

Calling the Phillies-Braves series for Fox 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 Citizens Bank Park.

There’s also longtime Phillies announcers Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen, who will be calling the game on 94.1 WIP. The duo have worked together in the booth since 2006, through Andersen — who is known to fans as simply “L.A.” — reduced his workload this season to 40 games.

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 used an over-the-air digital antenna to watch the previous two playoff games, you’re out of luck the rest of the series, because the remaining games will air on FS1, which is only available with a cable subscription.

» READ MORE: Phillies-Braves Game 3: Start time, channel, how to watch and stream MLB playoffs

— Rob Tornoe

Thanks to a rainy day in New York City on Thursday, baseball fans will have an extra game to watch on Friday.

In addition to Phillies-Braves, here are the other MLB playoff games airing on Friday:

» READ MORE: Phillies-Braves: Schedule, tickets, and everything else you need to know

— Rob Tornoe