Phillies and Braves Resort to Unconventional Pitching for Wild-Card Decider
Both NL East rivals face pitching challenges in the decisive Game 3 of their wild-card series.
The winner-take-all Game 3 of the wild-card series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves will feature unconventional pitching decisions from both sides. The Phillies are set to start veteran pitcher Aaron Nola, who finished the regular season with a 7-12 record and a 4.67 ERA, over ace Zack Wheeler, who is being held for potential relief duty. This decision comes after Wheeler had to pitch in relief on short notice in a previous game to secure the team's playoff spot.
Nola himself faced a difficult outing in his last start, lasting only one inning against the Tampa Bay Rays and allowing three runs. The Phillies are opting for Nola on regular rest rather than starting Wheeler on three days' rest.
On the Braves' side, they are planning to open the game with left-handed reliever Ray Kerr. Kerr made his season debut on August 17 after a 26-month absence from Major League Baseball, having previously worked at 7-Eleven and an IMAX theater before his MLB debut in 2022 at age 27. The Braves' strategy with Kerr is reportedly to limit the number of times starting pitcher Grant Holmes has to face the Phillies' lineup. Holmes has shown a significant drop in performance when facing batters for a second time in a game.
Neither team appears comfortable with its pitching situation as the series heads to a decisive Game 3. The Phillies are reportedly regretting a late-season stumble, while the Braves' pitching depth has been exposed. Zack Wheeler, a potential ace for the Phillies, has made only one relief appearance in his career, which came in the 2023 NLCS.