The Atlanta Braves fired their best bullet in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. With a four-run lead with four outs to go, the Braves deployed former Cy Young winner Chris Sale in a winner-take-all game and quickly crippled the hopes of Phillies fans of another October run. The move sealed the deal for a one-way ticket to the NLDS for the Braves, but the decision, steeped in bravado, left Sale unavailable for Game 2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, drawing massive criticism.
It didn't matter anyway.
Sale is one of the most lethal starters you can have on the mound, and the Phillies saw it in Game 1 of the Wild Card round. He did allow three runs, but still struck out nine across 6 1/3 innings. Him coming in to close and hurling 21 pitches just two days later was humiliating, but represented significant work for the 37-year-old.
Sale gets the ball with opportunity for momentum swing in Game 3 of NLDS
Ray Kerr is a name that feels all too familiar for Phillies fans, and he just saved Sale and Walt Weiss' bacon. Similar to the 3 1/3 scoreless innings he threw against them on Thursday, Kerr carried that magic into Game 2 of the NLDS. In Sale's absence, Kerr tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts to open the game and helped guide the Braves to a series tie with Sale rested and ready to go in Game 3 on Tuesday.
Phillies fans thought they had the last laugh after Sale's closing appearance uprooted the Braves' plans to attack the Dodgers. Instead, the Braves were able to tame the Dodger lineup with a bullpen game, clearly showing the depth they have for the postseason. That's something the Phillies haven't felt at all for the last three years. Since 2024, the Phillies have a 6.28 bullpen ERA in the postseason, the third-worst during that span. The final humiliating outing by Phillies closer Jhoan Duran was the most recent example after the go-ahead three-run homer he allowed that coughed up a Game 1 victory.
The Braves could very much take down the Dodgers in what is now a best-of-three to go with a trip to the NLCS on the line. The Braves were able to tread water around their starters, whereas the Phillies were not able to survive short-handed in their matchup. The Phillies played a role in causing some chaos in the first round, but none of it will really matter anymore. The Phillies are out of the playoff picture again, watching the rest of the NL battling it out for a trip to the World Series.
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