It's do or die time for the Atlanta Braves, who entered Thursday night with the possibility of seeing their 2026 campaign come to an end if they lose to the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the Wild Card series. But they could not have asked for a better start to the contest, as Michael Harris II smacked a three-run home run in the first inning to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead, setting the tone well for the NL East champion.
Harris did not have a very good outing in Game 2. Not only did he go just 1-5 from the plate, he also grounded into a double play twice. Suffice to say, he did not help matters for the Braves in their 4-3 loss to the Phillies on Wednesday. But that did dash the belief some pundits had in Harris one bit.
Prior to the start of Game 3, MLB Network's Greg Amsinger foresaw that Harris could work his magic for the Braves in the elimination game, which is exactly what he did.
“I think Michael Harris II is looking for redemption… I think he has a monster game and hits a home run,” Amsinger said.
Article Continues Below"I think Michael Harris II is looking for redemption… I think he has a monster game and hits a home run."
DO NOT underestimate the power of a Greg Amsinger pregame prediction!!! https://t.co/jwh9b3p0aF pic.twitter.com/nGzaIsdYiI
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 2, 2026
Meanwhile, retired MLB catcher AJ Pierzynski said, via Foul Territory, that he sees Harris as a big-game player who can do “something cool” in big moments.
“Michael Harris, I just think he has a knack to do something cool. And I don't have a reason for that other than I just think throughout his career, he's done a lot of cool stuff in big moments… He's going to want redemption for what happened yesterday,” Pierzynski said.
Through eight innings, Harris only has one hit in Game 3, but he sure made it count. The Braves also added to their lead courtesy of an Ozzie Albies home run and a Matt Olson homer.
At the time of writing, the Braves own a comfortable lead, 6-2, in the top of the eighth inning, but the job is far from done.