Berliner Tageszeitung - Phillies blast six homers to rout Braves in MLB playoffs

The Phillies, who matched the 2015 Chicago Cubs for the most homers in a single MLB playoff game, grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five second round National League series, which continues Thursday at Philadelphia.

Harper belted a three-run homer in the third inning and a solo homer in the fifth while Castellanos smacked solo homers in the third and eighth innings.

"It was good. Just trying to set the tone at home," Harper said. "We just tried to put pressure on them early. This was a really good win."

In later games Wednesday, Houston was at Minnesota seeking a victory to advance in the American League playoffs while Arizona was trying to complete a sweep of the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL playoffs.

The Texas Rangers became the first team into the last four by sweeping out Baltimore on Tuesday in the AL.

The Braves, who had the best record in MLB this season, fell one game from being ousted by the Phillies in the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Atlanta opened the scoring in the third when Ronald Acuna doubled and scored on an Ozzie Albies single.

But the Phillies equalized on a solo blast by Castellanos.

Singles by Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner set the stage for Harper's three-run homer to right field and J.T. Realmuto added a two-run double as Philadelphia seized a 6-1 edge after three innings.

Harper swatted a towering homer to centerfield in the fifth for his first multi-homer post-season contest.

Atlanta crept within 7-2 in the sixth inning when Marcell Ozuna singled, took second on a walk to Kevin Pillar and scored on Orlando Arcia's single to centerfield.

Turner answered with a solo homer over the leftfield wall in the sixth to give the Phillies an 8-2 edge.

Castellanos and Marsh blasted solo homers in the eighth to make it 10-2 and match the MLB homers mark by any team in a playoff contest.

P. Rasmussen--BTZ