"Painful loss but it's just 1 game" - Atlanta Braves fans optimistic despite ninth inning comeback falling short in first playoff game against Philadelphia Phillies

The Atlanta Braves, despite a 101-win season, will need to play catchup after losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Truist Park.

The Phillies are involved in the postseason picture after a decade-long absence and stunned the defending World Series champions 7-6 on Tuesday.

"Final: Phillies 7, #Braves 6." - Atlanta Braves

It was an uncharacteristic day at the office for the Braves, who found themselves trailing 7-1 in the fifth inning.

Both Nick Castellanos and Alec Bohm singled to put the Phillies up 2-0 in the first before Travis d’Arnaud homered for Atlanta to reduce the deficit.

Bohm’s sacrifice fly restored the Braves’ two-run advantage. Jean Segura’s RBI single extended their lead before Castellanos made it 6-1 with a two-run single in the fourth.

In doing so, Castellanos posted his best game as a Phillie by notching his first 3-hit, 3-RBI game of the year. Edmundo Sosa’s sacrifice fly made it 7-1 in the top of the fifth.

The Braves led the NL with 243 homers this year but couldn't take advantage of seven walks before Philadelphia’s bullpen retired 11 straight batters.

D’Arnaud’s two-run double kept the Braves in the picture. Matt Olson’s three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth made it 7-6, setting up a grandstand finish. Unfortunately for the Braves, the comeback proved to be elusive.

However, fans remained optimistic about the team's chances.

Brian Snitker’s side will find solace in the fact that they lost Game 1 of the NLDS last year to the Milwaukee Brewers, before winning five in a row en route to the World Series crown.

Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried takes complete responsibility for his poor performance in NLDS Game 1

Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried had an outing to forget, surrendering eight hits and six runs — four earned — in just 3 1/3 innings. The two-time Gold Glove winner made a rare error in the third that helped the Phillies score twice and take a 4-1 lead.

Fried experienced flu-like symptoms going into the game but ruled out his health bearing any effect on his performance.

“I’m not going to make any excuses. I took the ball today and put us in a big hole right off the bat. They came out swinging and had a really good approach, and frankly I just didn’t do my job today. The guys were counting on me to go out and have a good start and keep it a close game,” Max Fried said.

A dominant two-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Wild Card Series, coupled with Tuesday’s win, shows that the Phillies have enough in their arsenal to cause upsets.

Having left home 17 days ago, Philadelphia will return to Citizens Bank Park for Game 3 with better odds to reach the NL Championship Series. Game 2 is slated for Wednesday at Truist Park at 4:30 PM (ET) - a must-win encounter for the Atlanta Braves.