Braves to give the ball to Ray Kerr for elimination game against Phillies
The Braves will deploy the tactic of using a so-called opener in the biggest game of the season.
Ray Kerr, a 32-year-old, left-handed reliever who has appeared in 48 MLB games — only nine this season — and who has never pitched in a postseason game, will take the mound at 8:15 p.m. Thursday at Truist Park in Game 3 of the National League wild-card series.
The winner of Thursday’s game advances to play the Dodgers on Saturday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Eight of the nine games Kerr pitched in this season for the Braves came in a relief role. On Friday in Miami the Braves gave him a start against the Marlins and brought right-handed starting pitcher Grant Holmes in after Kerr completed three innings of scoreless ball. A similar strategy will be used Thursday.
Kerr had a 1.47 ERA and 0.60 WHIP for the Braves after making his season debut Aug. 17. That was his first appearance for the club since 2024 after having Tommy John surgery that year.
Phillies hitters have had limited exposure to Kerr. Derek Hill, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Edmundo Sosa all have one hit each against Kerr, but no one on the Phillies’ roster has more than Schwarber’s four at-bats against the southpaw.
The Braves’ hope is that Kerr, who has held left-handed hitters to a .174 average this season and a .196 average during his MLB career, will be able to quiet the left-handed bats of Schwarber, Harper and Brandon Marsh.
The Phillies will counter with Aaron Nola, a righty who has spent all 12 of his MLB seasons with the Phillies. Nola went 7-12 this past season with a 4.67 ERA. The 33-year-old has a 3.88 ERA in 11 career postseason starts with the Phillies.
Nola made three starts against the Braves during the regular season and gave up nine earned runs over 18 innings. However, on Sept. 6 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Nola gave up just one run and four hits over seven innings and struck out five.
In 2022 and 2023, Nola pitched the third game of the National League division series against the Braves, games the Phillies won. He totaled 11 2/3 innings in those outings and allowed just two earned runs. The Phillies won those two games by a combined score of 19-3.
Braves catcher and designated hitter Drake Baldwin has five hits and a walk in 11 career at-bats against Nola. Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski has also had success, going 7-for-18 with a double and a home run. Atlanta sluggers Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley are 43-for-123 (.349) combined against Nola with 12 walks, 12 doubles and 11 home runs.
If Nola gets into any sort of early trouble, the Phillies could turn to righty Zack Wheeler who threw 96 pitches over six innings Sunday.