Jeter, A-Rod Praise The Braves’ Stellar Game 2 Arms As Atlanta’s Gamble Pays Off

The Braves took a big gamble with their pitching plan on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. The plan paid off. Chris Sale started Game 1 of the Braves’ wild-card series last Tuesday against the Phillies. He then appeared in Game 3 two days later, which the Braves considered to be his bullpen day. So, Sale would have had a full four days of rest ahead of Sunday night’s Game 2 against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series. Instead, the Braves opted for a third straight bullpen game. It’s the second time this postseason left-hander Ray Kerr started a game, and it’s the second time he thrived. Against the Phillies on Thursday, Kerr threw 3 1/3 innings, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. On Sunday at Dodger Stadium, he went 2 2/3 scoreless, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out four. “How about Ray Kerr?” Derek Jeter said on the MLB on FOX postgame show. “Let’s just give it to the young man. I mean, he pitched Game 3 against the Philadelphia Phillies. No one really knew, maybe outside of the Braves organization, that he was going to pitch in a pivotal Game 2 when you’re down at Dodger Stadium when the whole world’s picking the Dodgers to win. And he went out and did the exact same thing. “So, he deserves a lot of credit. He set the tone for the Braves pitching staff and it just snowballed after that.” Kerr started it, and Didier Fuentes ended it with 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball. That one run came when Max Muncy homered in the ninth inning to end Fuentes’ outing. Closer Raisel Iglesias came in and got pinch-hitter Josue De Paula to pop out in foul territory to seal the win. Fuentes made a major impression back in spring, when he allowed one run, two hits and one walk over 13 2/3 innings in Grapefruit League play. He struck out 18 and allowed an opponent batting average of .049. He eventually joined the big-league club after starting the season in the minors and thrived. He had a 2.45 ERA over 58 appearances (73 1/3 innings). Now, so far in his postseason career, he has allowed two runs in his first 6 2/3 innings. “What can you say about Fuentes?” Alex Rodriguez asked. “Just turned 21 years old, the native from Colombia was fantastic – 3 2/3 (innings), only that one hit, the home run. Really impressive win for this team.” Next up is a heavyweight showdown on Tuesday in Atlanta for Game 3. For the Dodgers, it will be reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who, in two years with the team, has already become a legend for his impressive October performances. Opposite him will be Sale, who has rejuvenated his career in Atlanta after being traded there from the Red Sox in December 2023.