The Cuban closer Raisel Iglesias secured the victory for the Atlanta Braves over the Philadelphia Phillies by 5-3 in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series, held at Truist Park, according to a report by ESPN.
With the save, the second of his postseason career, Iglesias helped Atlanta take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series, leaving them just one win away from advancing to the National League Division Series (NLDS).
The game was highlighted by a spectacular comeback from the Braves in the eighth inning, when Austin Riley hit a three-run homer off Dominican reliever Jhoan Durán on the very first pitch he saw.
At that moment, Atlanta was losing 3-2 after a two-run triple by J.T. Realmuto had put the Phillies in the lead.
Riley's hit traveled off a fastball of 99.9 miles per hour, becoming the home run connected against the fastest pitch by a Braves player since 2008.
The final score was 5-3 in favor of Atlanta, a lead that Iglesias defended smoothly to close out the game.
Chris Sale was the starter for the Braves and was taken out in the seventh inning, while Jesús Luzardo started for Philadelphia, throwing five innings with three hits, one run, and 77 pitches.
Ozzie Albies also contributed with a key triple in the sixth inning during Atlanta's rally.
Iglesias arrives at this postseason at one of the best moments of his career. In the regular season of 2026, he accumulated 34 saves, with an ERA of 2.55, a WHIP of 1.08, and 64 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched over 59 appearances.
The Cuban reached this year 270 saves for his career, placing him as the fourth active reliever with the most saves in Major League history.
He was also selected for the MLB All-Star Game in 2026 and completed his eighth consecutive season with at least 20 saves, an unprecedented record among Latino relievers in baseball history.
Iglesias is part of a group of nine Cubans participating in the 2026 MLB playoffs, spread across seven teams, which signifies a remarkable presence of players from the island in the postseason.
Game 2 of the Wild Card Series between the Braves and Phillies will take place this Thursday at Truist Park, with Atlanta looking to wrap up the series and secure their spot in the next round.
Filed under: