Aaron Nola struggled with his command on Thursday, October 1, 2026, allowing three runs in just 1 2/3 innings as the Philadelphia Phillies fell 6-2 to the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park, bringing their season to a sudden close.
Interim manager Don Mattingly and the front office started veteran right-hander Aaron Nola on regular rest for Game 3, passing over Zack Wheeler after a grueling end to the regular season forced Wheeler to pitch on the final day of September to secure the playoff berth. The Philadelphia postseason run ended abruptly in Atlanta as that pitching gamble failed to pay off in the series finale.
That decision unraveled quickly under the lights at Truist Park. Nola struggled to find his command right from the opening frame, issuing two one-out walks before surrendering a decisive three-run home run to Michael Harris II. After settling down briefly in the second, Nola gave up a single to Dominic Smith and was promptly lifted for reliever Tim Mayza. His final line showed 38 pitches thrown—only 19 for strikes—across just 1 2/3 innings of work.
Walt Weiss Names Ray Kerr as Opener
Manager Walt Weiss handed the ball to left-handed reliever Ray Kerr to serve as an opener, marking Kerr’s first career postseason appearance after a remarkable comeback from Tommy John surgery that sidelined him entirely in 2025. Right-hander Grant Holmes is expected to get work after Kerr, with Holmes having gone 10-6 with a 3.44 ERA during the regular season. Kerr joined Atlanta after being recalled on August 16, making his first major-league appearance in more than two years the following day. Braves manager Walt Weiss explained that Smith was chosen for the starting lineup due to his historical numbers against Nola, noting that Smith can draw walks and use the whole field despite having just three hits in his last 30 at-bats with 13 strikeouts.
Weiss also shook up his lineup by inserting Dominic Smith into the designated hitter role. Smith had seen heavily reduced playing time down the stretch of the regular season, finishing September with hits in only three of his final 28 at-bats. Yet Weiss defended the choice by pointing to Smith’s historical familiarity with Nola and his ability to work deep counts, a move that left many fans and observers surprised given Smith’s sparse action over the prior month. Over 108 games this season, Smith batted .253 with 9 home runs, six doubles, and an OPS+ of 91.
“Obviously it’s another elimination game, I think three out of the last four have been elimination games, so I’m assuming it’ll be pretty much all hands on deck.”
Don Mattingly, Phillies interim manager
Bullpen Strategy Comes Up Short
Zack Wheeler, who tossed 97 pitches in Sunday’s regular-season finale, was summoned out of the bullpen in the third inning and delivered four frames of work, throwing 68 pitches. Philadelphia entered Thursday night committed to exhausting every arm in the bullpen to stay alive. Yet the early deficit proved too steep to overcome, and the bats could not replicate the ninth-inning heroics that forced Game 3. Phillies closer Jhoan Duran also pitched in the eighth inning, striking out two batters after missing Game 2.
The defeat leaves the Phillies reflecting on a costly four-game losing streak late in September that stripped them of a chance to clinch early and forced them to burn their rotation depth before the wild-card round even began. For Atlanta, the unconventional bullpen architecture orchestrated by Weiss held firm, securing a victory that propels the Braves forward. The loss marks a continuation of postseason struggles for Atlanta, which has not made it past the first round the last three times they’ve made the postseason, with twice being eliminated by the Phillies.
Braves Advance to Face Los Angeles
With the elimination victory secured at home, how will Atlanta handle the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series?