Atlanta Braves fans had some familiarity with lefty Ray Kerr prior to Game 3 of the NL Wild Card. However, there were surely some fans who were unaware of who he was and why he was starting an elimination game. Luckily, he pitched one of the best games of his life and provided Atlanta with three strong, scoreless innings against the Phillies. This set the tone for the entire game, and the Braves offense flourished to advance to the NLDS.
Flash forward to Game 2 of the NLDS, and Kerr found himself in a similar position. The team needed him to start another game against a lineup of dangerous left-handed bats. He's the secret weapon that no one saw coming at the start of the playoffs. Now, he's showing just how valuable he is to the Braves.
Kerr Mode 🔥#LetItFly pic.twitter.com/hX40lbSuCd
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 5, 2026
Ray Kerr may be the key to the Braves' playoff hopes in 2026
Kerr provided Atlanta with 2.2 innings of work, with two hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. He has yet to allow a run over 6 innings, with two walks and six strikeouts. If anyone had asked how the lefty would have performed in the playoffs before the playoffs started, the answer would likely have been not very well. Thankfully, he's been a great surprise for everyone. It's also a feel-good story, as Kerr has overcome a lot to be in this position. He's an easy guy to root for.
Kerr's emergence may remind fans of what became of Tyler Matzek during the 2021 postseason run. Matzek had a 1.72 ERA over 15.2 innings pitched with four walks and 24 strikeouts. His performance against the Dodgers in the NLCS will never be forgotten.
And the Braves are so lucky that Kerr is showing up the way he is. He's absolutely saved their butts. The lack of pitching depth has been a problem for them, and had Kerr not been able to cover multiple innings twice, the bullpen would be in terrible shape.
However, Kerr continued his excellence; the offense scored enough runs, and the bullpen stepped up in a big way to give Atlanta a win in Game 2. The NLDS now heads back to Atlanta for a pitcher's duel between Chris Sale and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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