The Atlanta Braves have chosen left-hander Ray Kerr to start Game 3 of the National League Wild Card series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night. The decision comes as a surprise given Kerr’s recent return from Tommy John surgery after a 26-month absence from major league pitching.
Kerr, 32, rejoined the Braves’ pitching staff on August 17 and has impressed in limited action. Over nine appearances spanning 18⅓ innings, he posted a 1.47 ERA and a 0.60 WHIP, striking out 11 and walking just two. His recent outings against the Phillies stand out—he threw 6⅓ innings of scoreless baseball in September with five strikeouts and no walks. That performance likely influenced the Braves’ decision to start him in this winner-take-all game.
Instead of handing the ball immediately to right-hander Grant Holmes, who might have been expected to start, the Braves plan to use Kerr to navigate the Phillies’ lineup one time before turning the game over to Holmes out of the bullpen. Holmes has also been effective against Philadelphia this season, pitching 10 innings in September and allowing only two runs.
Atlanta’s manager, Walt Weiss, will look for Holmes to provide length in the middle innings. If Holmes can deliver five or six innings, the Braves will be well positioned to advance. The team may also have ace lefty Chris Sale available in relief after he threw 95 pitches in Game 2 on Tuesday.
On the other side, the Phillies will start right-hander Aaron Nola in Game 3, with ace Zack Wheeler expected to follow in relief. Both teams are prepared to use their best pitchers in this decisive matchup.
The series has been tightly contested. Philadelphia and Atlanta each won one of the first two games thanks to clutch home runs late in the innings. The winner of Thursday’s game will move on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series starting Saturday.
The Braves’ gamble on Kerr, who has overcome a lengthy recovery from surgery, demonstrates their willingness to trust recent form over experience in the postseason. Kerr’s ability to keep the Phillies off balance early could prove decisive in a game where every out counts.
According to Yahoo Sports.