Andrew Painter did not wait for the handshake line. With the final pitch of a tense October night still under review, the 23-year-old Phillies right-hander was already headed toward the dugout, convinced he had ended it.
| NL Wild Card Series, Game 2 | R |
|---|---|
| Phillies | 4 |
| Braves | 3 |
| Innings | 10 |
Painter’s final offering to Atlanta pinch-hitter Dominic Smith had first been ruled a ball with two runners aboard and two outs in the 10th. Painter immediately signaled toward his head while J.T. Realmuto did the same behind the plate, asking for an ABS challenge. The review changed the call to strike three, delivering a 4-3 Philadelphia win and forcing a deciding Game 3 in the National League Wild Card Series.
Realmuto said Painter knew the pitch had caught the zone.
“He threw a perfect pitch,” Realmuto said. “Honestly, he seemed more certain than I was. He was so fired up to make that pitch and get that out in that moment.”
The overturned decision marked the first postseason game to finish on an ABS challenge. Painter, though, was too locked into the moment to appreciate the unusual ending right away. He later admitted he had simply drifted toward the clubhouse instead of joining Realmuto for the usual celebration on the field.
“I don’t know,” Painter said. “I kind of blacked out in the moment.”
Three scoreless innings from an unlikely bullpen arm
This was Painter’s first postseason appearance and, by his recollection, his first true relief outing from a bullpen. He had worked in relief only twice in his professional career: once after a migraine prevented a scheduled April 12 start, and once following an opener against Milwaukee on June 12.
“I never thought my first one would be in the postseason,” Painter said. He kept the final ball as a souvenir.
The path to that baseball was not smooth. Painter was sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on June 17 after a rough opening stretch in the majors, carrying a 7.06 ERA. His third outing after the demotion brought another difficult night, as he surrendered seven runs on eight hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings.
Philadelphia looked for starting-pitching help before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline but did not complete a deal. Interim manager Don Mattingly continued to believe Painter could contribute later in the season, though even Mattingly acknowledged the turnaround looked remote at the time.
“I’d like to say I saw this coming then, but it looked bad then,” Mattingly said. “It says a lot about him and who he is. He went down, put in the work, came back, and he’s been a different guy.”
Painter returned to Philadelphia on July 31 and posted a 3.65 ERA across 11 appearances, yet his October role remained uncertain. The Phillies had limited dependable bullpen choices in Game 2, and closer Jhoan Duran was unavailable after a 27-pitch outing in Game 1. So, with the season hanging in the balance, they handed Painter the ball in the bottom of the eighth.
Cotham’s visit changed the inning
Painter entered with the score tied, 3-3, after an emotional swing in the game: Bryce Harper made a misplay that threatened to end Philadelphia’s season, then answered an inning later with a tying home run.
The rookie missed the strike zone with each of his first six pitches. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham went to the mound with a simple message.
“Your best is enough,” Cotham told him. “You don’t need to be more than you are or more than you’re capable of being. You, J.T., the hitter — this is what you’ve worked for. I wouldn’t want anybody else out there right now.”
Realmuto reinforced the point before returning behind the plate. Painter threw a strike on his next delivery, then got Michael Harris II to roll into a double play on the following pitch. Sean Murphy popped out on the first pitch he saw, and the eighth was suddenly over.
Painter navigated around a two-out single in the ninth to push the game into extra innings. Alec Bohm put Philadelphia ahead with a home run in the top of the 10th, giving Painter a one-run lead and three outs to protect.
“Once I knew three outs would finish it, I was letting it all go,” Painter said. “Everything I had left, I was emptying it.”
He did exactly that. After allowing two runners in the 10th, Painter struck out Smith on three pitches for his third strikeout of the inning. His final line was three scoreless relief innings, and the victory made him the youngest pitcher in Phillies history to earn a postseason win.
Realmuto saw more than a clean line in the box score.
“In my opinion, that can change a career,” Realmuto said.
Cotham praised both the stage and the work Painter did to earn the opportunity.
“It’s a great day, a great win and a great baseball game,” Cotham said. “But for him personally, I’m proud of him and the work he put in to have it show up in such a big spot.”
Realmuto believes the Phillies have only seen the beginning from Painter.
“I’m excited to keep working with him,” Realmuto said. “He’s going to be a stud.”
Game 3 schedule
The Phillies and Braves will meet Thursday in Game 3, with the first pitch dependent on the rest of the Wild Card slate. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET unless it is the only series still playing, or unless White Sox-Astros is the only other active series. In either of those scenarios, Phillies-Braves will move to 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
