Chris Sale opened the playoffs with a quality start on Tuesday and sealed the Wild Card round by nailing the last four outs. The left‑hander says he’d be ready to pitch again tomorrow, “If I’d have to pitch tomorrow, I’d pitch tomorrow,” he told reporters (h/t Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal‑Constitution).
Philadelphia forced a Game 3 but fell to Atlanta, extending its streak to four straight postseason series defeats. The Phillies haven’t captured a playoff round since their 2023 NLDS win over the Braves. For my money, the club must overhaul its roster to halt the losing streak. As the offseason looms, the club wrestles with questions, foremost the future of interim manager Don Mattingly, who took over from Rob Thomson in late April and sparked a revival before the late‑season slump.
With limited reliable starters, Braves boss Walt Weiss handed Ray Kerr the ball in the elimination tilt. The reliever stretched beyond a typical opener, delivering 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Kerr’s path has been winding; he missed the majors last year and only joined Atlanta in mid‑August. “Hopefully Ray Kerr became a bit of a household name tonight,” Weiss said (h/t Mark Bowman of MLB.com). “He deserves it. He’s got an amazing story of perseverance.” He may be called on again against the Dodgers this weekend.
No games are on the docket today; action returns Saturday. The White Sox and Guardians will launch the Division Series at noon CT, with rookie standout Parker Messick on the mound for Cleveland. Next up are the Braves versus the Dodgers, then the Rays meeting the Yankees. In the AL East clash, Drew Rasmussen faces Gerrit Cole. The day closes with the Padres and Brewers, and top‑seeded Milwaukee will hand the ball to Jacob Misiorowski. Will the Dodgers survive Kerr’s momentum?