ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves punched their ticket to the National League Division Series with a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Thursday night’s decisive Wild Card Game 3, riding three home runs and a bullpen cameo from ace Chris Sale.
Michael Harris II launched a three-run shot in the first off Aaron Nola after Wednesday’s extra-inning loss left him looking for redemption. Ozzie Albies added a two-run blast in the fourth and Matt Olson went deep in the seventh as Atlanta finished the best-of-three set 2-1 before a sellout of 41,731 at Truist Park, according to Associated Press coverage.
Surprise starter Ray Kerr — making just his fourth career start and first postseason appearance after Tommy John surgery — threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings, limiting Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in a lefty-vs-lefty script manager Walt Weiss wanted. Grant Holmes earned the win in relief. Sale, who started Tuesday’s opener, entered Thursday on one day’s rest for his first relief outing of the year, striking out Harper to end the eighth and sealing the ninth.
The victory was Atlanta’s first playoff series win since the 2021 World Series title and its first postseason series triumph over Philadelphia after NLDS exits in 2022 and 2023. The Braves, who won the NL East by six games over the Phillies in the regular season, now face the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with NLDS Game 1 scheduled Saturday at Dodger Stadium.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly called the exit another “crash landing,” extending Philadelphia’s run of progressively earlier postseason finishes since the 2022 World Series. For Atlanta, Weiss said the club has repeatedly answered when stakes are highest — a message his club will need again against Los Angeles.