Braves Cruise Past Phillies Behind Early Power And Strong Pitching

Truist Park – The Atlanta Braves came into Game 3 with plenty of pressure surrounding them, but they quickly gave their sold out home crowd something to celebrate.

Atlanta defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 behind three home runs, a strong performance from Ray Kerr and another impressive showing from the bullpen.

Kerr immediately settled any nerves.

The left hander delivered 3 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two batters. He needed only 47 pitches and gave Atlanta exactly what it needed to start the game.

The Braves gave him plenty of support.

Michael Harris II opened the scoring with a three-run home run off Phillies starter Aaron Nola. The blast came one game after Harris grounded into two double-plays in Game 2.

“Obviously had to come through in this situation,” Harris said. “Just found one pitch to put my best swing on and hopefully we got some runs out of it, and we did.”

Kerr responded by continuing to attack the Phillies.

“Same mentality. Put up zeros, let the boys keep hitting,” Kerr said. “This ballgame is not over. Let’s get after it.”

Ozzie Albies extended the lead in the fourth inning with a two-run home run, giving Atlanta a 5-0 advantage.

“We do our meetings and know what the pitcher is going to attack with,” Albies said. “You look for your pitch, and if he leaves it where you want to take a good swing with that pitch, you saw it today.”

Matt Olson added to the celebration in the eighth inning with a solo home run that pushed the lead to 6-1.

Atlanta’s bullpen then finished the job with Walt Weiss making effective decisions throughout the game to keep the Phillies from mounting a comeback.

The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric throughout the night. Kerr received a standing ovation when he exited, a moment that carried extra meaning after his long journey back to the mound.

“It was a journey. I’ve dreamed about stuff like this,” Kerr said. “For it to actually happen, I still haven’t even processed it yet.”

Albies said the victory was especially meaningful after Philadelphia ended Atlanta’s postseason runs in previous years.

“Definitely feels amazing to win against the Phillies because they were the ones that sent us home previous years,” Albies said.

Now, the Braves turn their attention to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Atlanta will head to Los Angeles for its next series, with Harris reflecting on watching the Braves’ 2021 postseason run from the stands.

“Being on the field this time … it gave us a lot of motivation and energy to go out there and win this game for them and head to LA,” Harris said.

The Braves took care of business against Philadelphia. Now, the Dodgers await.