Don Mattingly managed Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves with his job on the line. On the final day of the MLB Wild Card round, all eyes were on the decisive clash between the NL East rivals. The Wild Card Series delivered drama, dominant pitching, and plenty of postseason tension, but few games carried more weight than the series finale between the Phillies and the Braves.

Atlanta eliminated Philadelphia with a 6-2 win, earning their place in the NL Division Series. They will face the defending World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the Braves gained traction after years of postseason rivalry with the Phillies, the atmosphere grew tense in Philadelphia, especially with Don Mattingly’s job on the line.

Phillies Manager’s Job is in Danger

For the Phillies, the 6-2 loss to the Braves has consequences beyond the end of their playoff run, and it starts with Don Mattingly.

“Mattingly, who managed the Phillies for five months, will be gracefully dismissed, likely in the coming week,” predicted Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The Phillies promoted Mattingly to interim manager after firing Rob Thomson following a dismal 9-19 start. Mattingly turned the Phillies’ season around and led them to the postseason. But nothing short of a World Series run could have ensured the former bench coach’s future, especially when Alex Cora has Dave Dombrowski’s favor. The Phillies president of baseball operations reportedly offered the role to Cora first, 48 hours before he fired Thomson. Mattingly, however, said that he is not ready to talk about his future with the Phillies organization.

“It’s not the time to talk about anything like that,” Mattingly told postgame, per MLB.com. “I’m not concerned about myself in this situation. I want the Phillies to do what they need to do to set themselves up for success. Yeah, I’m not really — it’s like, my stuff doesn’t really matter.”

However, he hopes to remain connected to baseball. Ahead of this season, Mattingly signed a two-year bench-coach contract with the Phillies. Maybe not a bench coach, but Mattingly might return as an advisor.

The Phillies have not won a World Series since 2008. After 18 years, they were desperate for one, especially since this was their fifth consecutive postseason appearance. But they will have to wait at least one more year now.

Mattingly’s role will be under scrutiny, since he started Aaron Nola in Game 3, despite his record at Truist Park. As a visiting pitcher, Nola has allowed the highest number of homers (21) at the ballpark. Furthermore, his was shaky in his last regular-season outing as well. In the penultimate game of the season, he threw 21 pitches in one inning and exited after surrendering 3 runs on 4 hits. He logged a 4.67 ERA this season.

Mattingly ended up pulling Nola after 1.2 innings, with the Phillies in a 3-0 deficit, and sent Zack Wheeler for the next four innings. Wheeler allowed a two-run homer to Ozzie Albies but otherwise stopped the damage. However, the Phillies could not salvage the game.

As the Braves dominated the Phillies, an unexpected starter emerged as Atlanta’s Game 3 hero.

Ray Kerr Delivers an Incredible Postseason Performance

Facing the 32-year-old reliever, Ray Kerr, the Philadelphia Phillies lineup struggled to score runs.

The reliever delivered when the Braves needed him the most. Kerr dominated the Phillies lineup in 3.1 scoreless innings. He allowed only one hit and one walk during his postseason debut. Kerr opened for Grant Holmes, who also recorded his first postseason appearance.

According to Front Office Sports on X, “Ray Kerr was working at a 7-Eleven and a movie theater, thinking his baseball career was over. Then he got signed for $2,000 and spent seven seasons in the minors.”

Notably, Kerr grew up in foster care and gave up on baseball to attend community college. He also worked two jobs at a 7-Eleven and a movie theatre. Following his Alaska Baseball League stint, the Seattle Mariners signed Kerr to a minor league deal.

After seven seasons in the minors, advancing to Triple-A, the Mariners traded Kerr to the San Diego Padres. He debuted in the big leagues in 2022 with the Padres. The Braves acquired Kerr and Matt Carpenter in December 2023 in exchange for minor leaguer Drew Campbell.

Kerr’s career faced even more challenges in Atlanta, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024. But he overcame the obstacles and helped the Braves win. Home runs from Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II gave Kerr and Holmes run support.

Meanwhile, the Braves fans have turned their focus to their next opponents, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Braves Fans Turn Their Attention to the Dodgers

With the Phillies eliminated, the Braves fans quickly shifted their focus towards their next target: the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the next stage of the postseason, the Braves will play against the defending World Series champions for the division title.

With their head-to-head postseason record being 12-12, per StatMuse, the NL division series is going to be a high-intensity one. However, the Braves fans are not too worried, as Atlanta holds a 5-1 record against the Dodgers in the regular season this year. A viral video on X shows some Braves fans chanting “We want the Dodgers” after they defeated the Phillies. Dodgers Muse posted the video on X.

What lies ahead?

MLB wrapped up the Wild Card round with Thursday’s game. With the Cubs, Red Sox, Houston Astros, and the Phillies eliminated, the remaining team will advance to the division series. The qualifiers will now face the teams that had secured a postseason bye. While the Braves will play against the Dodgers, the Padres will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. As for the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays will host the Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians will host the Chicago White Sox.

The division series action starts in full swing on Saturday.