Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-30 · by Charles Odum The Associated Press
Don Mattingly, interim manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, decided to bring in All-Star closer Jhoan Duran for the seventh inning during their crucial opening game against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. Despite Duran's perfect performance in the seventh, he faltered in the eighth by giving up a three-run homer to Austin Riley, leading the Braves to a 5-3 victory. Mattingly defended his decision to use Duran early but admitted frustration with the outcome. The article primarily focuses on the strategic choice and its consequences for the Phillies' playoff run.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Interim manager Don Mattingly wanted the Philadelphia Phillies’ best reliever on the mound as early as possible in a tight opening game of a best-of-three National League Wild Card Series against the Atlanta Braves.
asserted
reliever → want → Braves
Turning to All-Star closer Jhoan Duran in the seventh inning made it appear Mattingly was hoping his best reliever could cover the final three innings and protect a beleaguered bullpen.
uncertain
reliever → turn → bullpen
After Duran gave up a three-run homer to Austin Riley in the eighth inning of the Phillies’ 5-3 loss to the Braves on Tuesday, Mattingly and Duran faced questions about why the manager turned to his closer so early in the game and if he was asking too much from Duran.
asserted
he → give → Duran
“I threw the first inning and I go back to the dugout and they said be ready for another inning and so I go back out there and try to do my work,” Duran told reporters.
asserted
Duran → throw → reporters
Duran’s perfect seventh inning only emboldened Mattingly’s plan to stick with the closer in the eighth.
asserted
inning → embolden → eighth
Mattingly may have hoped the 28-year-old Duran could pitch three innings to protect a 3-2 lead even though he made just one multi-inning appearance in the regular season.
uncertain
he → hop → season
“He made it look easy the first inning,” Mattingly said of Duran.
asserted
Mattingly → make → Duran
“If the second one would have went really quick, I would have just checked with him.
asserted
I → go → him
If not, we would have went to somebody else.”
asserted
we → go → somebody
Duran gave up a two-out single to Michael Harris II before hitting Ozzie Albies with a pitch and then giving up Austin Riley’s three-run homer that gave Atlanta the lead.
asserted
that → give → lead
“Anytime you lose a game late, obviously it’s frustrating, but in our minds we had our best guy out there,” Mattingly said of Duran.
asserted
Mattingly → lose → Duran
“You live with this one.”
asserted
You → live → one
When asked if he turned to Duran in the seventh because the Braves had the top of their lineup coming up, Mattingly said it wasn’t a matchup decision.
asserted
it → ask → lineup
“Not with Jo,” Mattingly said.
asserted
Mattingly → say → Jo
“We don’t really worry about the matchup.
asserted
We → worry → matchup
Duran (0-1) allowed just two homers in 61 regular-season games.
asserted
Duran → allow → games
He was successful on 33 of 35 saves opportunities but others in the Phillies’ bullpen did not enjoy the same success.
asserted
others → enjoy → success
Philadelphia’s relievers had a 5.79 ERA in September, worst in the majors.
asserted
relievers → have → majors
Mattingly was asked about his ninth-inning plan if Duran had protected the lead in the eighth.
asserted
Duran → ask → eighth
“It depended where we landed,” Mattingly said.
asserted
Mattingly → depend → ?
“We had (Jonathan) Bowlan.
asserted
We → have → Bowlan
We had different guys, we’d probably combo the inning a little bit.
asserted
we → have → inning
If (Duran) gets a quick out, we’ll check with him and we see.”
asserted
we → get → him
Mattingly said Andrew Painter, a starter in 23 of his 25 games this season, could have been another ninth-inning option.
uncertain
Painter → say → games
The Phillies now turn to left-hander Cristopher Sánchez to start Wednesday’s must-win second game of the series.
asserted
Phillies → turn → series
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Game 1 or 2, just keep focused on what we have to do and follow the game plan,” Sánchez said before Tuesday’s game.
asserted
Sánchez → matter → game
“It’s not that difficult at all.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
It’s just a matter of being able to wait it out.”
asserted
It → ’ → it
Mattingly acknowledged the Phillies face another must-win scenario after being stretched to the final game of the regular season to clinch the wild-card spot.
asserted
Phillies → acknowledge → spot
Mattingly said his players will “show up and play.”
“These guys have been here before, so that game the other day felt like a must-win,” Mattingly said.
asserted
Mattingly → say → win
We’re back there tomorrow.”
asserted
We → ’re → ?
Mattingly said he’s confident having Sánchez for Game 2.
asserted
he → say → Game
“Always feel good with Cristopher out there,” Mattingly said.
asserted
Mattingly → feel → Cristopher
“The playoffs are momentum-based it seems like, and really momentum starts with your starting pitcher.
asserted
momentum → base → pitcher
He goes out and gives you a good start to the game ... it’s just a game at that point.”
asserted
it → go → point
Duran’s availability on Wednesday is uncertain after he threw 27 pitches while allowing three runs in two innings.
asserted
he → throw → innings
“We’ll check tomorrow like we always do,” Mattingly said.
asserted
Mattingly → check → ?
“We let guys go throw, see how they are, and then we decide.”
asserted
we → let → ?
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