Lost in Ray Kerr and Didier Fuentes' epic Game Two performances was the stellar job done by Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss. For a manager navigating his first postseason, Weiss seems to have a great feel for the moment. Managerial decisions are magnified in October, and Weiss is showcasing that he isn't afraid to go down swinging.
While Game One of the NLDS had its questionable calls, Weiss rebounded well in Game Two. Anytime you beat Blake Snell and the loaded Dodgers while throwing a bullpen game, you have to have made some great moves along the way. Numerous moments from Game Two displayed Weiss' managerial ability and helped send the series back to Atlanta with momentum in the Braves' corner.
"There always seems to be some unsung heroes in the #Postseason and Ray [Kerr] is definitely one of them." - Walt Weiss@Braves | #LetItFly pic.twitter.com/0aWZq96d7p
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 5, 2026
Walt Weiss pushing the right buttons more often than not in his first postseason run
Weiss had to get comfortable maneuvering around a subpar pitching staff throughout the regular season. So it's not much of a surprise to see Weiss succeed with his bullpen usage this October. In the past, it felt like Brian Snitker would get a little too greedy for outs in the postseason. Braves Country has the Game Three Bryce Harper homer off Bryce Elder etched into their memories for this reason.
This postseason, Weiss knows he has a talented bullpen, and he is showing that he is not afraid to lean on that group. When the supposed "bulk" pitcher for Game Two, Grant Holmes, got into trouble in the fourth inning, Weiss wasted no time going to his high-leverage lefty to extinguish the fire. Given Dylan Lee's struggles in the Wild Card round, Weiss didn't ask for too much from Lee either, as Robert Suarez got the opportunity to showcase why Anthopoulos brought him to Atlanta.
Finally, when a Braves reliever entered the game and was dealing, Weiss wasn't afraid to let him work. Fuentes had just one relief outing of more than nine outs all season long, but that didn't stop Weiss from sending the 21-year-old phenom back out for a fourth inning on Sunday. All of these high-leverage decisions from Weiss went about as well as one could hope. Now, the Braves return to Atlanta with their best two pitchers lined up, and a manager who has shown he is not afraid to make a tough call when it is required.
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