Braves choose Kerr to open Game 3, with Holmes lined up for bulk innings

Game 3 lineup update — October 1, 8:11 p.m. Eastern

The Braves’ confirmed starting lineup has Mauricio Dubón at shortstop, Mike Yastrzemski in left field and Dominic Smith as the designated hitter for Thursday’s deciding Wild Card game against Philadelphia. Ha-Seong Kim is on the bench. MLB listed those assignments in its pregame lineup.

Atlanta’s batting order is Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, Dubón, Yastrzemski, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies and Smith. Baldwin is catching, with Smith occupying the DH spot.

SB Nation’s Thursday lineup account independently reported the same arrangement and noted that Dubón replaces Kim at shortstop after Kim started the series’ first two games. The original Braves October 1 lineup post is also included below. No injury reason for Kim’s absence from the starting nine was announced in those accounts.

Atlanta’s earlier announcement that Ray Kerr would open, with Grant Holmes expected to handle bulk innings, remains the pitching plan described below.

Ray Kerr will open for the Braves in Thursday’s deciding National League Wild Card game against the Phillies, with Grant Holmes expected to follow for the bulk of the innings. Atlanta announced the choice ahead of the 8 p.m. Eastern start at Truist Park, where the winner advances to face the Dodgers.

The choice puts a left-hander in front of Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper before Atlanta turns to Holmes. The two Phillies sluggers hit consecutive eighth-inning homers Wednesday to erase a two-run deficit in a game Philadelphia eventually won 4-3 in 10 innings.

Kerr has given Atlanta a useful late-season option. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported that he has a 1.47 ERA across 18⅓ innings in nine appearances since his August 17 season debut. Left-handed hitters went 4-for-23 against him, with one double accounting for their only extra-base hit.

He also faced Philadelphia twice in September. In a three-inning appearance September 13, he got Schwarber to ground into a double play and struck out Trea Turner before leaving Harper stranded after a double in the following inning. That history helps explain manager Walt Weiss’ decision to start with a matchup rather than ask Holmes to take the game from its first pitch.

Holmes takes the longer assignment

Bowman reported that Atlanta wants Holmes to enter within the first few innings and attempt to complete at least four innings. The right-hander finished the regular season with a 3.57 ERA in 29 starts, including a 2.94 ERA over his final 14.

The split between his first and second trips through a lineup gives Atlanta another decision to manage. Opponents produced a .590 OPS in their first plate appearance against Holmes and an .886 OPS in their second, according to MLB.com. An opener changes where Holmes begins; it does not remove the need to monitor how the next part of the lineup fares against him.

The bullpen has already carried work in both games. USA TODAY’s Steve Gardner noted that Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias have pitched in each of the first two games. Bowman added Didier Fuentes to the group that would be working a third straight day if needed Thursday.

Philadelphia has a different late-inning situation. Andrew Painter’s three scoreless relief innings Wednesday allowed the Phillies to rest closer Jhoan Duran after his two-inning appearance in Game 1, Gardner reported. Atlanta’s opener plan therefore has two jobs: navigate the left-handed power early and get enough innings from Holmes to leave the late relievers a manageable assignment.

The series is tied 1-1. Thursday’s game airs on NBC and Peacock.