The Braves didn’t just clinch a spot in the NLDS on Thursday. They found an unlikely answer in Ray Kerr.
Atlanta had been floating the idea of using Kerr as an opener, and on paper it made sense. The left-hander gave them a way to attack the top of the Phillies’ order, with Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper waiting early.
Most people figured Grant Holmes would still end up carrying the heavier load. That’s not how Game Three unfolded.
Kerr instead set the tone for Atlanta’s series-clinching win, turning in 3.1 scoreless innings and handling the heart of Philadelphia’s lineup like he’d been doing it for years. For a pitcher coming off a major arm injury and viewed by many as an afterthought on the roster, it was the kind of October performance that can rewrite a player’s place in the story.
When Kerr came out, he took in the ovation, and he should have.
That’s the beauty of playoff baseball. The regular season rewards the long-haul stars, the guys who pile up value over 162 games.
October is different. A player can come from nowhere, or bounce back from a miserable season, and swing everything with one night.
Austin Riley is another reminder of that. Braves fans had plenty to gripe about during the season, and much of it was earned after some ugly at-bats. But in Game One, he delivered a homer that changed the direction of the game all by itself.
Atlanta’s 2021 title run had its own cast of October heroes, with Eddie Rosario, Tyler Matzek, and Jorge Soler carving out their places in Braves playoff history. Kerr, Michael Harris, and Michael Harris II may have just joined that company. Next comes the Dodgers, and the Braves will be looking for the next surprise star to step forward.
In Other News...
Braves Fans Had To Love How Fast This Phillies Jinx Backfired
The Braves did not need much help finding a spark in Game 3 of the National League wild-card series, but they did get a little extra fuel from the broadcast booth. During the inning, Joey Votto, working his first season as a broadcaster after a long playing career, predicted Atlanta would not score again. The line landed almost immediately as the Braves pushed across two runs later in the same frame, turning the comment into a quick punchline for fans watching along.
For Atlanta followers, it was the kind of accidental jinx that can make a postseason night even sweeter when it backfires so fast. Vottos run in the analyst chair is only temporary, though, since NBC does not have rights beyond the wild-card round, so this was one of his final games in the role. For a Braves crowd that has lived through plenty of October nerves, it was a small but satisfying reminder that the baseball gods can still have a sense of humor. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Got A Real Opening In Winner-Take-All Game 3
The Phillies are making a notable pivot for their winner-take-all Game 3 against the Braves, choosing Aaron Nola over Zack Wheeler on the mound. It is the kind of decision that can reshape the feel of an elimination game before the first pitch, especially for an Atlanta lineup that has spent the series trying to force every edge it can get.
Nolas 2026 season has been uneven, but Philadelphia is clearly leaning on his past postseason success against the Braves as the safer answer for this matchup. The move also leaves some intrigue hanging over the other side of the dugout, because Wheelers strong season made him the more obvious choice and left plenty of room to wonder why the Phillies went a different direction. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Added A Dangerous Game 3 Wrinkle For Phillies
With a decisive Game 3 looming in the National League Wild Card Series, the Braves appear willing to leave every option on the table. Manager Walt Weiss said left-handed ace Chris Sale could be available out of the bullpen, even on one day of rest, after he turned in a strong outing in Game 1.
That possibility alone adds another layer of pressure on the Phillies in an elimination game, because it gives Atlanta a way to shorten the night if the matchup turns tight late. For a series already hanging by a thread, the chance that Sale could surface in relief is the kind of wrinkle that can change how both dugouts manage every inning. [Read more 🡒]