Braves break out 'warrior' Sale to close out Phils in wild-card clincher

ATLANTA -- Michael Harris II hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Chris Sale came out of the bullpen on one day of rest to get the final four outs and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 on Thursday night in the decisive Game 3 of their National League Wild Card Series.

Surprise starter Ray Kerr threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings for Atlanta, and Ozzie Albies launched a two-run homer in the fourth. Matt Olson added a solo shot in the seventh as the Braves advanced to a best-of-five Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I told our guys, `Man, all year long when the stakes have been the highest, when the challenges have been the toughest, we've been at our absolute best.' So it doesn't surprise me that we played the way we did tonight," Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said.

The Braves won a postseason series for the first time since winning the 2021 World Series and earned their first playoff series win against the Phillies. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 1993 NLCS and the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.

After winning the NL East by six games over Philadelphia this year, the Braves came out on top in their postseason matchup, too.

"Those guys kind of went start to finish in this division," Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. "Over the course of the 162 [games], they were the best team in our division."

Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola was pulled after allowing three runs in 1⅔ innings. Nola walked Ronald Acuña Jr. and Olson with one out in the first before giving up the homer to Harris, who hit into two double plays in Wednesday's 4-3 loss in 10 innings that forced Thursday night's game.

Kerr made his postseason debut in only his fourth career start. Braves manager Walt Weiss wanted a left-hander to face Phillies left-handed hitters Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper at least once.

Kerr allowed only one hit, to Schwarber in the first, and one walk, to Schwarber in the fourth. Kerr left to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd and acknowledged the cheers by lifting up his arm as he approached the dugout.

"Hopefully, Ray Kerr became a bit of a household name tonight. He deserves it," Weiss said. "He's got an amazing story. Perseverance. Like I said, he's very grateful to be here. He's got a grateful heart, and he was very excited about the challenge tonight. As you saw, he wasn't rattled at all. Looked like a 10-year vet making a start, and he was phenomenal.

Right-hander Grant Holmes followed Kerr and allowed one run in two innings to earn the win.

Sale, the starter in Atlanta's 5-3 win in Tuesday's series opener, struck out Harper to end the eighth and closed out the win in the ninth by striking out Bryan De La Cruz and pinch hitter Otto Kemp.

Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, the winning pitcher in Sunday's 7-3 victory over Tampa Bay that clinched the wild-card spot, walked Austin Riley in the fourth before giving up Albies' homer to right field that gave Atlanta a 5-0 lead. Wheeler allowed two runs in four innings. Jonathan Bowlan, Philadelphia's fourth pitcher, gave up Olson's homer to center field.

Kerr, 32, flourished in the postseason spotlight. He pitched in only nine games after being recalled by Atlanta on Aug. 16. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024 and didn't pitch in 2025.

Philadelphia's 2022 World Series loss to Houston began a streak of five straight postseason appearances with progressively quicker exits -- the NL Championship Series, two NLDS exits and now the wild-card loss.

"If you don't win the last game, it's a crash landing no matter what. It doesn't matter where it is," Mattingly said.

Thursday's game drew a sellout of 41,731 after the Braves fell short of sellouts in the first two games of the series, with school and work conflicting with the 2:15 p.m. first pitch for many fans. Afternoon starts also hurt attendance in other wild-card series games this week.

The announced attendance at Truist Park was 30,127 on Tuesday and 37,150 on Wednesday.

Edmundo Sosa remained in the Phillies' starting lineup at third base after he appeared to aggravate a groin injury running to first base and left Wednesday's game in the ninth inning. Mattingly said second baseman Luis Arraez, who was left off the roster for the series due to a left ankle sprain, has progressed to working in the weight room.

Weiss said Braves right-hander Tyler Mahle, who allowed only one run in seven innings on Wednesday despite feeling an abdominal pull in pregame warmups, was "feeling pretty good" on Thursday.

The Braves will play at Dodger Stadium on Saturday in the opening game of their division series against the two-time defending World Series champions.