Who is Ray Kerr? Meet 7-Eleven employee turned Braves pitcher who outdueled Aaron Nola in MLB postseason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves needed a hero to step up in Game 3 against the Philadelphia Phillies, so they turned to a 32-year-old journeyman reliever.
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BRaves manager called upon Ray Kerr to get the start vs. Philadelphia, hoping the lefty could help neutralize Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber before Grant Holmes handled the bulk work. Kerr did that and more, keeping the Phillies at bay while the Braves took an early lead.
Playoff baseball is all about unlikely heroes, and Kerr is just that since his story includes once leaving college baseball and working at a 7-Eleven. Now, Kerr is one of the great stories of the young MLB postseason.
Get to know the Braves playoff hero.
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Who is Ray Kerr?
Ray Kerr is a journeyman left-handed reliever who became the Braves hero on Thursday night in Game 3 against the Phillies. Kerr got the start as the opener, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings while leaving with a 3-0 lead to hand it over to the bullpen.
Kerr made his major league debut at 27 years-old with the Padres in 2022, and he made 29 appearances with San Diego in 2022 and 2023. The Braves traded for him before the 2024 season, with Kerr making 19 appearances in three seasons for Atlanta around Tommy John surgery.
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How did Ray Kerr go from 7-Eleven to MLB?
Kerr played a season of college baseball at Mendocino College, but he became academically ineligible and was forced back home to Reno, Nevada. It was there were he worked at a 7-Eleven and a local movie theatre.
From there, Kerr was able to work his way up the baseball latter in an unusual way. He returned to baseball at Lassen Community College, then played for the Peninsula Oilers in the Alaska Baseball League which earned him a tryout with the Seattle Mariners and Miami Marlins. The Mariners ended up signing him to a minor league deal.
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Ray Kerr stats vs Phillies
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Innings: 3.1
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Strikeouts: 2
Getting the start as an opener, Kerr shut down the Phillies by allowing just one hit and no runs while recording 10 outs. He was able to face both Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber twice, and while Schwarber was the only player to reach base against him, Kerr limited any damage against the Phillies power hitters.
Ray Kerr career stats
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Innings: 72.2
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Strikeouts: 76
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Earned runs: 35
Kerr has put together a solid career thus far, pitching to a 4.33 ERA in 48 games since the 2022 season. He has provided both the Padres and Braves length as a reliever, averaging over an inning per appearance, making his role more valuable than the usual lefty reliever.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
