Ray Kerr walked off the Truist Park mound to a standing ovation that seemed to catch even him off guard. He gave the crowd a wave, almost like he was still trying to process that the noise was for him, and then soaked in a moment that felt bigger than the box score.
It was a big night for the former Padres left-hander in the biggest appearance of his career. Kerr threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings for the Atlanta Braves in a winner-take-all Wild Card game, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two. By the time he was done, Atlanta was up 3-0 in the fourth inning, and the Braves would go on to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 to set up an NLDS matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
What made the scene land was the path Kerr took to get there. He’s 32, and this was his first playoff appearance.
He had Tommy John surgery in 2024, missed the entire 2025 season and was still grinding back at Triple-A Gwinnett just six weeks earlier. Then Atlanta handed him the ball to open an elimination game against a lineup with Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.
No pressure, right?
Instead of unraveling, Kerr handled the top of Philadelphia’s order twice. Schwarber reached twice, but Harper struck out and grounded out against him. Braves manager Walt Weiss couldn’t have asked for a better start, and Atlanta got exactly what it needed.
For Padres fans, Kerr’s night comes with a familiar twist: he was never this visible in San Diego. He bounced between the Padres and Triple-A El Paso, pitching in seven games in 2022 and 22 more in 2023. His final Padres season ended with a 4.33 ERA in 27 innings, though left-handed hitters hit just .161 against him.
San Diego sent Kerr, Matt Carpenter and cash to Atlanta after the 2023 season in a deal for minor league outfielder Drew Campbell. It was a salary-clearing move tied to Carpenter’s contract, and Kerr was the extra piece Atlanta got back. Carpenter was released three days later, and Kerr became the part that actually stuck.
Even then, nothing came easy. Kerr put up a 5.64 ERA in 2024, then underwent elbow surgery and spent more than a year away from the majors.
He returned in August and posted a 1.47 ERA over nine regular-season appearances. By October, Atlanta trusted him with the kind of assignment most relievers never get.
He answered by shutting down one of baseball’s most dangerous lineups and handing the Braves’ bullpen a three-run cushion. The ovation made the rest of it feel human.
Former Padres succeed elsewhere all the time. Kerr is just another piece who’s probably not on many fans' radar.
He used to be the guy shuttling between El Paso and Petco Park. On Thursday night, he was the pitcher who silenced Philadelphia and got Truist Park on its feet.
His wave back said enough.
In Other News...
Padres Owner Just Added Heat To A Rivalry Fans Already Feel
Before the Padres took the field for their wild-card Game 2 against the Cubs, owner Jose E. Feliciano managed to add a little fuel to an already combustible rivalry. In a media session, he took a playful shot at Dodgers owner Mark Walter, joking that Walter "owns a lot of dinosaurs," a nod to the fossil collection displayed in Walters office. The remark spread quickly on social media, the kind of offhand jab that tends to travel fast when San Diego and Los Angeles are involved.
Craig Stammen was asked about the bigger-picture possibility of a playoff meeting with the Dodgers, but he kept the focus where it needed to be. The Padres manager steered the conversation back to the next series and the Milwaukee Brewers, which remains the immediate task in front of the club. Even so, the moment was another reminder that when these two organizations are anywhere near the same October conversation, the edge never stays quiet for long. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Enter Padres Series With One Flaw Fans Can't Ignore
The Brewers arrive at the National League Division Series with plenty going for them, from a strong regular season to home-field advantage and a rotation headlined by Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson. On paper, that makes Milwaukee the favorite, but postseason baseball has a way of putting even the best-looking advantages under a microscope once the games begin.
For the Padres, the matchup offers a clear opening. San Diegos lineup brings more power, and its pitching gives it the kind of balance that can stress a team built more on run prevention than long-ball damage. If Milwaukees offense cant produce enough thump, especially in the kind of tight October games that define a short series, this could turn into the kind of flaw that decides everything. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Fans Have Heard This Kind Of Manager Backing Before
The Padres have changed managers plenty of times in the last seven seasons, but the common denominator has stayed the same: A.J. Preller. Through four different skippers, San Diego has still managed five postseason trips in that span, and now Craig Stammen is the latest to get the kind of public backing that has accompanied this job before.
Stammen is hardly a stranger to the organization, having spent most of the past decade in different roles around the club, and Prellers support has centered on the traits that matter most in a dugout and clubhouse. Accountability and leadership are the qualities he singled out, the kind of language that suggests the front office sees something sturdier here than the usual short-term vote of confidence. The question, as always in San Diego, is whether this one lasts longer than the others. [Read more 🡒]