Atlanta Braves pitcher Ray Kerr has gone from stocking shelves to throwing strikes for an MLB playoff team.
The Braves gave Kerr the ball to start Thursday’s Wild Card decider against the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga. The path to becoming a postseason starter was not the traditional one for Kerr.
The Athletic’s Jesus Cano published a piece on Kerr last month that detailed his journey to the big leagues. Kerr had a rough upbringing, which eventually resulted in him and his brother Richard being placed in foster care.
Kerr developed into a standout pitcher at Hug High School in Reno, Nev. He played one season at Mendocino College before moving back home, where he worked at a 7-Eleven and a local movie theater.
About a decade later, the 32-year-old stood opposite Phillies starter Aaron Nola to decide who moves on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. You can read about Kerr’s full journey here.
“Man, keep going,” Kerr previously told Cano. “Look where I’m at now just because I wanted to keep going. I knew I had a passion for baseball, and I had people there supporting me, and there’s nothing wrong with a little help.
“Follow whatever dream that you like because we’re just getting older and older.”
Kerr’s work to make his dreams come true led him to Thursday night, when he threw 3.1 scoreless innings against the Phillies. He departed the contest with the Braves leading 3-0, allowing only one hit and one walk with a pair of strikeouts.
Some Braves fans doubted Kerr, who had only one regular-season start this year. But Walt Weiss’ gamble on the Reno native paid off in a big way as the Braves beat the Phillies 6-2.
