Ray Kerr opens another Braves win as Atlanta ties NLDS vs. Dodgers

Ray Kerr threw 2.2 scoreless innings as the opener in a bullpen game, and Atlanta beat Los Angeles 3-2 to even the NLDS before the series shifts to Truist Park.

The Atlanta Braves answered their Game 1 loss with a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, squaring the best-of-five matchup at one game apiece. The win came against the defending World Series champions and allowed Atlanta to head home on level terms.

The stakes for Game 2 were about as close to must-win as they come short of an elimination game. After dropping the opener, Atlanta faced the prospect of heading home down 2-0 in a best-of-five series, a deficit only three consecutive wins could overcome.

Four games into their postseason run, the Braves were already dealing with a strain on their pitching depth, and Game 2 in Los Angeles brought another bullpen arrangement rather than a conventional starter. The assignment to open fell to Ray Kerr, a reliever asked to begin one of the most important games of Atlanta's season.

Kerr set Atlanta on the right path from the outset. He worked 2.2 innings without allowing a run, holding the Dodgers to two hits and one walk while striking out four. The outing gave the Braves a foundation in a game they won by a single run.

Afterward, Kerr showed no surprise at his own performance. "It's what I do. That's all I can explain. I've been a sleeping beast for the last two years and now I'm gonna leave it all out on the field," he told Braves great John Smoltz in a postgame interview shared by MLB's official account on X.

It was the second time this October that Kerr opened a postseason game for the Braves, and both have ended in wins. He also started Game 3 of the Wild Card round against the Philadelphia Phillies, a 6-2 Atlanta victory. The Braves have now turned to him as their opener in both rounds of their playoff run.

The role is an unlikely one given Kerr's resume. At 32, he has thrown just 72.2 major league innings since debuting in 2022, and his entire 2026 regular season with the Braves covered nine appearances, one start and 18.1 innings. Despite the light workload, he has carried evident confidence onto the postseason stage.

Reinforcements should arrive for Atlanta's rotation from here. Chris Sale is expected to start Game 3 and Tyler Mahle is in line for Game 4, a sequence that would ease the strain on a bullpen that has carried a heavy October workload. If the series requires a decisive Game 5, Kerr could get another call.

The series now shifts to Truist Park, where the Braves will host Game 3 on Tuesday, October 6. First pitch is set for 6:00 PM EDT, and the game will be televised on FS1.