Wright outduels Wheeler as Atlanta blanks Philadelphia to even NLDS series

Kyle Wright, baseball's winningest pitcher, threw six brilliant innings to outduel Zack Wheeler as Atlanta evened their NL Division Series at one game apiece, blanking the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 on Wednesday night.

After persistent rain delayed the first pitch by nearly three hours, Wright surrendered just two hits and claimed the win when Atlanta got to Wheeler for three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

This was a game the reigning World Series champions had to have after losing the opener of the best-of-five series 7-6. They had the right guy on the mound, a right-hander with a big arm and looping curveball who has finally cashed in on his enormous potential.

Wright, a former first-round draft pick who struggled to get past Triple-A, came into this season with a record of 2-8 in the majors. He totally turned that around, going 21-5 to win three more games than any other big league pitcher.

Wright kept it going in the playoffs. His only major threat came in the second, when Bryce Harper led off with a double, then tagged and moved to third on a flyout to deep centre by Nick Castellanos.

Harper had to scramble back to third on Alec Bohm's groundout to first, and Brandon Marsh struck out swinging on a four-seamer that clocked in at 96 mph.

A.J. Minter, Raisel Iglesias and Kenley Jansen closed out the three-hitter with one inning apiece. Jansen earned the save.

Dansby Swanson made a dazzling play to end the Phillies' sixth.

Sprinting with his back to the infield, the shortstop reached out to snare a pop fly from J.T. Realmuto while tumbling to the outfield grass. Wright threw both arms in the air when he realized Swanson had the pulled off the catch.

It turned out to be the final pitch of Wright's 83-pitch gem, in which