The Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves play the deciding game of their National League Wild Card Series tonight at Truist Park, with Aaron Nola scheduled to start against Braves opener Ray Kerr. The series is tied 1–1; the winner travels to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers.
“Obviously it’s another elimination game,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said after Wednesday’s Game 2. “I’m assuming it’ll be pretty much all hands on deck.”
Tonight’s game: time and where to watch
- When: Thursday, October 1 — 8 p.m. Eastern / 6 p.m. Mountain.
- Where: Truist Park, Atlanta.
- United States: NBC on television; Peacock for streaming.
- Canada: Sportsnet+ carries every MLB postseason game. Check Sportsnet’s television schedule for the channel assignment.
- Starting pitchers: Philadelphia — Aaron Nola, right-hander; Atlanta — Ray Kerr, left-hander and opener, with Grant Holmes expected to follow.
For the broadcast options and postseason calendar, see The Sporting Page’s MLB playoff TV guide. MLB’s Game 3 listing identifies Nola and Kerr as the probable pitchers.
The starting pitchers and bullpen plans
Nola finished the regular season 7–12 with a 4.67 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 175⅓ innings. Before Wednesday’s game, Mattingly said Nola had completed his bullpen session in preparation for a potential Game 3.
“He’s built up for it,” Mattingly said in his September 30 pregame press conference. “But yeah, we expect him to take the ball tomorrow.”
Kerr recorded a 1.47 ERA in nine regular-season appearances, allowing three earned runs in 18⅓ innings. Atlanta’s plan is for Holmes to handle the bulk of the innings after Kerr opens against a Philadelphia lineup that includes left-handed hitters Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.
Asked Wednesday before Game 2 about using an opener, Braves manager Walt Weiss said: “You don’t do it just to do it. It has to be the right matchups, the right personnel.”
Mattingly’s relief options remained conditional after Game 2. Closer Jhoan Duran was unavailable Wednesday after pitching in Tuesday’s opener. Asked about Duran’s status for Thursday, Mattingly said: “We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow.”
Andrew Painter pitched three scoreless relief innings to finish Wednesday’s win. Asked afterward whether he could pitch again in Game 3, the 23-year-old rookie said: “Yeah, everything on the line. Luzardo would make fun of me if I didn’t. I’m 23; he says I should be good every day.”
What the managers said after Game 2
Philadelphia forced the decider with a 4–3 win in 10 innings on Wednesday. Schwarber and Harper hit consecutive eighth-inning home runs off Dylan Lee to tie the game. Alec Bohm’s two-out homer off Didier Fuentes in the tenth gave the Phillies the lead.
“But some big home runs late by some really good hitters. That’s what got us,” Weiss said in his September 30 postgame press conference.
Asked what he expected from Atlanta in the deciding game, Weiss added: “We’ll come out and we’ll be ready.”
The winner opens the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, October 3. Asked about Philadelphia’s approach to another elimination game, Bohm said: “Turn the page and move on to tomorrow and show up ready to do the same thing tomorrow.”
