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Can one swing redeem a season?

During the opening contest of the National League Wild Card Series on September 29, 2026, Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley launched a crucial three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park. Even though the late-inning blast boosted the club's championship probability by roughly four percent, analytics rank the clutch swing only twenty-third in championship win probability for the franchise's recent postseason era.

The moment also fell short of the slugger's own career highlights, trailing in significance behind his previous postseason hits including a tiebreaking home run during the 2020 National League Championship Series.

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