The Atlanta Braves needed a win on Sunday night badly. They were already down a game in the best-of-five NLDS to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Still playing in Hollywood for Game 2, the Braves were certainly considered underdogs — especially considering that they were going with a bullpen game started by Ray Kerr, while the Dodgers had Blake Snell on the mound.
The Braves overcame those odds, though, to even the series at a game apiece.
Didier Fuentes was a big reason why.
Fuentes may still end up in the Atlanta rotation in the long haul. For now, though, he’s a reliever.
And when he’s on his game, Fuentes is a really, really good bullpen arm.
Fuentes did give up a solo homer to Max Muncy on Sunday night, but that was the only hit and run he allowed in 3.2 innings.
Before that, he had set down 11 in a row.
Didier Fuentes Record
The fact that Fuentes retired 11 batters in a row on Sunday actually set an all-time MLB record.
No relief pitcher age-21 or younger had ever had a streak that long in an MLB playoff game, according to OptaStats.
Nothing like it has even happened in the regular season since 1989.
Didier Fuentes of the @Braves retired 11 consecutive batters Sunday.
That’s the longest streak by a reliever 21 or younger in a postseason game in MLB history.
No reliever 21 or younger has had a streak that long in a regular-season game since Tom Gordon on April 12, 1989 (11). https://t.co/NvaTWVCxFH
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) October 5, 2026
It is a stat that makes some sense. How often are relievers asked to get that many outs to begin with? And it’s rare that a reliever in such a spot would be as young as Fuentes, either.
It’s clear that Fuentes’ background as a starting pitcher still helps him in moments like that. Atlanta doesn’t have any concern about the workload being too much for him.
An outing like that may require Fuentes to rest a bit, and potentially it jeopardizes his availability for Game 3 on Tuesday. But the Braves needed a win Sunday night, and Fuentes helped them get there.
Didier Fuentes’ Odd Debut
Fuentes had thrown only 26 innings above High-A when the Braves promoted him to start in MLB at 20 years and 3 days old on June 20, 2025.
They were shorthanded due to injury, and Fuentes was lined up on his turn to pitch in the minors, so they had him throw in the majors instead.
Fuentes went five innings that day and allowed four runs, but the simple act of the promotion showed how much the Braves believed in the young, promising arm.
Already, Fuentes is showing under the bright lights of October just how good that right arm can really be.
Braves’ Dider Fuentes Sets All-Time MLB Record