Atlanta Braves Announce Starting Pitcher For Wild Card Game 3 vs. Phillies

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 27: Manager Walt Weiss #4 of the Atlanta Braves looks on during batting practice prior to facing the Kansas City Royals in the home opener at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The National League Wild Card Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves at Truist Park is tied 1-1.

Game 3 is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday. The winner will play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series, which will start on Saturday.

The Braves have announced their starting pitcher for tonight’s game.

Atlanta Braves Announce Starting Pitcher For Wild Card Game 3 vs. Phillies

Left-hander Ray Kerr will start for the Braves tonight, the team announced.

Kerr is typically a reliever, so he is clearly just an opener tonight. Grant Holmes will likely be the bulk pitcher.

It’s a surprising decision, but it makes sense, given that he is a southpaw and the Phillies have two star left-handed hitters, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, at the top of their lineup.

Kerr, 32, has thrown just 18 1/3 innings across nine outings with Atlanta this year. He allowed just three earned runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out 11 with the Braves in 2026.

Veteran right-hander Aaron Nola will start for the Phillies tonight. Nola, 33, posted a 4.67 ERA with 177 strikeouts in 175 1/3 innings across an NL-leading 33 starts this year.

Phillies-Braves Wild Card Series is Already a Classic

The first two games of the Wild Card Series between Atlanta and Philadelphia were absolutely nuts. Game 3 has a lot to live up to.

In Game 1, the Phillies carried a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning. With two outs and two runners on, Braves third baseman Austin Riley hit a three-run home run off star reliever Jhoan Duran to give Atlanta a 5-3 lead, which ended up as the final score.

In Game 2, Bryce Harper misplayed a fly ball in left field in the seventh inning, allowing the Braves to score and go up 2-1. Another run scored in the inning on a sacrifice fly from Matt Olson, putting the Braves up 3-1.

Then, Kyle Schwarber and Harper hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to tie the game. Alec Bohm hit a go-ahead home run in the tenth inning, and the Phillies won 4-3.