ATLANTA -- As the clock neared midnight, a champagne-soaked Ray Kerr stood in right field and gladly took pictures with family members of some of his Braves teammates. Some of them might not have known much about him at the start of the day.
But by the time the Braves had eliminated the Phillies with a 6-2 win in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series on Thursday night, Kerr’s days of obscurity were over.
“Hopefully Ray Kerr became a bit of a household name tonight,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “He deserves it. He's got an amazing story of perseverance.”
An overwhelming sense of joy filled Truist Park as a sold-out crowd got to see the Braves finally beat the Phillies in the postseason. They also finally won a winner-take-all postseason game for the first time since Game 7 of the 1996 NL Championship Series. They had lost six straight, the third-longest streak of all time.
Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II were all part of the Atlanta teams eliminated by Philadelphia in both the 2022 and ‘23 NL Division Series.
So, each of them might have felt a little extra joy as they all homered in this win that sent the Braves to the NLDS, where they will face the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers. That series opens at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
As for Game 1 starter Chris Sale, he electrified the crowd when he came out of the bullpen to strike Bryce Harper out to end the eighth. A little more than 48 hours after throwing 95 pitches over 6 1/3 innings, the 37-year-old hurler recorded this game’s final four outs.
He then joined his teammates in praising Kerr’s pitching performance.
“To do what he did tonight for us, that's unbelievable,” Sale said. “He did everything he could for this ballclub. He put it on the line for us tonight. That fired me up, honestly, and I think it got everyone going.”
While the long ball proved decisive, the lasting memory of this jubilant night will be of Kerr allowing just one hit over 3 1/3 scoreless innings. The 32-year-old reliever learned Wednesday night that he would be utilized as an opener in this winner-take-all game. This is not something he anticipated six weeks ago, when he was at Triple-A Gwinnett making his way back from the Tommy John procedure he underwent in 2024.
Nor did Kerr know if this was possible during those childhood days that he spent in foster homes while his father did prison time. Or back in 2015 when he pitched for the Reno Astros, a men’s league team that includes many collegiate players. He worked at a 7-Eleven and a movie theater at the same time.
“This was just another Thursday,” Kerr said. “Growing up, I had a hard time. So, this was nothing.”
Maybe this is why Kerr wasn’t fazed as he carved through the Philadelphia lineup. His primary task was to neutralize the two left-handed sluggers, Kyle Schwarber and Harper, at the top of the Phillies’ lineup. Kerr did that and more.
Weiss sent Kerr to the mound not knowing exactly how long the pitcher might last. He was thrilled he didn’t have to take the ball from him before Kerr faced Schwarber and Harper a second time in the fourth.
Schwarber singled and walked. Harper struck out and grounded out. Safe to say Kerr passed the test with flying colors.
Grant Holmes, Robert Suarez, Didier Fuentes and Dylan Dodd bridged the game until Sale appeared.
“That was a best-case scenario, and [Kerr] did it,” Weiss said. “He got through the top twice, which kept us from using another guy at the top. So, Ray -- it all started with Ray. Everything fell into place because of Ray Kerr.”
Kerr has made just 48 career appearances, with nine of those coming this year. He also made nine Minor League appearances this year. It should be noted that just five of those came above the High-A level.
But while posting a 1.47 ERA in his nine big league appearances, he gave the Braves confidence he could handle this assignment. He auditioned by throwing three scoreless innings while being used as an opener for Holmes on Friday in Miami. Kerr had also held the Phillies scoreless over two outings (6 1/3 innings) in September.
So, instead of starting Holmes on Thursday, the Braves once again had him follow Kerr.
“I've dreamed about stuff like this,” Kerr said. “For it to actually happen, I still haven't even processed yet.”