Braves’ Ray Kerr Celebrates Postseason Achievement

After 32 years of waiting for his big career opportunity, Ray Kerr didn’t hold back — he let his emotions fly, regardless of the censors.

In a thrilling moment during the Braves’ 6-2 victory over the Phillies in Game 3 of the NL wild-card series, Kerr celebrated as he pitched 3 1/3 innings without allowing any runs. It was his first experience in a postseason game, and he delivered with just one hit and one walk, kicking off the game positively for Atlanta.

“Man, starting a game and him closing it out? What the f–k, that’s coolest feeling ever,” Kerr told Braves Vision, referring to his teammate who closed the game. “And him coming to me after the game and congratulating me. F–king blessing.”

As teammates showered him with champagne, he humorously responded to a question about how it felt, saying, “F–king cold,” which got a laugh from the interviewer. “I’ve been freezing all night.”

While Chris Sale’s brief outing and Michael Harris II’s three-run homer steal the headlines, it’s clear that Kerr’s exceptional performance was crucial for the Braves’ advancement to the NLDS.

Before this moment, Kerr had played in just 48 MLB games, most recently in the last two years, and had made only nine appearances this season. Yet, the Braves chose him to take on the opener role.

With an impressive 47-pitch outing, he was able to last into the fourth inning, which meant the team didn’t need as much from their bulk pitcher Grant Holmes.

Kerr exited with the Braves ahead 3-0, managing to limit the Phillies’ key hitters, including Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper, to an 0-for-5 performance with one walk.

“I was focused from the moment I woke up,” he reflected. “I was determined to put some zeroes up and help secure a W.”

Kerr’s journey has not been straightforward; it includes stints that found him, at one point, working at a 7-Eleven before making his MLB debut in 2022.

Now, he has etched his name into Braves history by helping the NL East champions finally triumph over the Phillies in a postseason series.

The next challenge for Atlanta will be facing the Dodgers in the NLDS, starting Saturday night in Los Angeles.

“It felt great. Honestly, I don’t have much to say about my past,” he admitted. “But it was fun. It was a journey. I’ve dreamed about stuff like this. For it to actually happen, it’s still a bit surreal. We’re just going to take it one game at a time and see if we can win the next series.”