The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are playing a wild card series in Atlanta, with each game taking on tremendous importance as both look to advance to the NLDS and later rounds.Tuesday's matchup was playoff baseball at its best, with a tight, closely-fought game between two elite starters in Jesus Luzardo and Chris Sale.
Phillies manager Don Mattingly made the decision to win or lose with closer Jhoan Duran, sending him out for multiple innings to try and secure a 3-2 lead.Instead, the move backfired, with Braves third baseman Austin Riley launching a massive, two-out three-run homer to give Atlanta a 5-3 lead.Raisel Iglesias got the final three outs to take a 1-0 series lead and make Wednesday's contest a possible elimination game for Philadelphia.ASTROS PLAYERS CALL OUT FANS FOR BOOING DURING GAME 1 LOSS TO WHITE SOX: 'EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING'Austin Riley of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning of Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on Sept.
29, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.(Kevin C.
Cox/Getty Images)That's exactly what Major League Baseball wants to showcase about the postseason.A late, game-changing homer involving two of the game's stars.
Dramatic finishes to conclude tight matchups.Massive stakes and incredible crowd reactions.There's just one problem.
As the camera panned across the field as Riley rounded the bases, showing the stands in left field, there were thousands of open seats.Some fans huddled in the concourses to avoid the late-September Atlanta heat, but entire sections were effectively completely empty.A huge, game-changing postseason moment at a home stadium with a star player launching a homer off one of baseball's best closers.
And there are thousands of open seats visible on the broadcast.Not exactly the best look for a sport working hard to grow and showcase its popularity against the all-powerful NFL.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OU...