SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Dylan Guenther scored two power-play goals, Karel Vejmelka made 15 saves and the Utah Mammoth opened the season with a 6-0 romp over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
Clayton Keller assisted on both power-play goals. Michael Carcone, Nick Schmaltz, Anders Lee and Daniil But also scored to help the Mammoth beat the Blackhawks in a season opener for the second time in three seasons.
Click to Gallery
Utah Mammoth center Jack McBain (22) fights for the puck against Chicago Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom (40) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Utah Mammoth and Chicago Blackhawks players fight during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Utah Mammoth players celebrate after a goal by Utah Mammoth left wing Michael Carcone (not shown) during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) scores against Chicago Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom during second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Utah Mammoth right wing Dylan Guenther (11) scores against Chicago Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom (40) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Chicago generated only nine shots on goal over the first two periods. Arvid Soderblom had 26 saves for the Blackhawks. They lost their second straight after falling 5-2 at Vegas on Tuesday night.
Utah opened the scoring on Guenther’s first power play goal with 3:19 left in the first period. Carcone made it a two-goal lead for the Mammoth 40 seconds later, flicking a wrist shot over Soderblom’s elbow.
Schmaltz scored Utah’s third goal at the 9:46 of the second. He collected a puck that deflected off Soderblom’s skate as he dropped to his belly and tapped it in behind him at close range.
The Mammoth added two more goals later in the period. Lee tapped in the puck in traffic off a feed from Andrew Peeke with 6:54 left in the second. Guenther added his second power-play goal with 4:32 remaining in the period to put Utah up 5-0.
But capped the scoring with 7:10 left in the third.
Blackhawks: At Buffalo on Saturday night.
Mammoth: At Columbus on Saturday night.
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
Utah Mammoth center Jack McBain (22) fights for the puck against Chicago Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom (40) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Utah Mammoth and Chicago Blackhawks players fight during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Utah Mammoth players celebrate after a goal by Utah Mammoth left wing Michael Carcone (not shown) during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) scores against Chicago Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom during second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Utah Mammoth right wing Dylan Guenther (11) scores against Chicago Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom (40) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
ATLANTA (AP) — After hitting into two double plays during the Atlanta Braves' loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, Michael Harris II was eager for an opportunity to make amends.
He didn't have to wait long.
Harris hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Chris Sale came out of the bullpen on one day of rest to get the final four outs and the Braves beat the Phillies 6-2 on Thursday night in the decisive Game 3 of their National League Wild Card Series.
Surprise starter Ray Kerr threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings for Atlanta, and Ozzie Albies launched a two-run homer in the fourth. Matt Olson added a solo shot in the seventh as the Braves advanced to a best-of-five Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I told our guys, `Man, all year long when the stakes have been the highest, when the challenges have been the toughest, we’ve been at our absolute best.' So it doesn’t surprise me that we played the way we did tonight,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said.
Harris has hit .426 with two homers and five RBIs in his first eight career postseason games, but he wanted to move past the two double plays in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss in 10 innings that forced Thursday night’s game.
“Just found one pitch to put my best swing on and hopefully we got some runs out of it, and we did,” said Harris, who connected off Aaron Nola.
The Braves took a postseason series for the first time since winning the 2021 World Series and earned their first playoff series win against the Phillies. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 1993 NL Championship Series and the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.
“Definitely feels amazing to win against the Phillies because they were the ones that sent us home previous years, and especially at home,” Albies said.
After winning the NL East by six games over Philadelphia this year, the Braves came out on top in their postseason matchup, too.
“Those guys kind of went start to finish in this division,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “Over the course of the 162 (games), they were the best team in our division.”
Nola was pulled after allowing three runs in 1 2/3 innings. He walked Ronald Acuña Jr. and Olson with one out in the first before giving up the homer to Harris,
Kerr made his postseason debut in only his fourth career start. Weiss wanted a left-hander to face Phillies left-handed hitters Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper at least once.
Mattingly acknowledged that Kerr pitching long enough to face Schwarber and Harper twice was a perfect script for a Braves win.
“Obviously, it’s nice,” Mattingly said. “When you’re in that situation where you can run through your lefties again at the top is probably the best-case scenario, and he was able to do that.”
Kerr allowed only one hit — to Schwarber in the first — and one walk — to Schwarber in the fourth. Right-hander Grant Holmes followed Kerr and allowed one run in two innings to earn the win.
Kerr left to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd and acknowledged the cheers by lifting up his arm as he approached the dugout.
“Hopefully, Ray Kerr became a bit of a household name tonight,” Weiss said. “He deserves it.”
The 37-year-old Sale, who started Atlanta's 5-3 win in Tuesday's series opener, struck out Harper to end the eighth and closed out the series in the ninth by striking out Bryan De La Cruz and pinch-hitter Otto Kemp.
The ace left-hander threw 95 pitches over 6 1/3 innings Tuesday. Two days later, he threw 21 pitches in his first relief appearance of the year.
Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, the winning pitcher in Sunday's 7-3 victory over Tampa Bay that clinched the wild-card spot, walked Austin Riley in the fourth before giving up Albies' homer to right field that gave Atlanta a 5-0 lead. Wheeler allowed two runs in four innings. Jonathan Bowlan, Philadelphia's fourth pitcher, gave up Olson's homer to center field.
Kerr, 32, flourished in the postseason spotlight. He pitched in only nine games after being recalled by Atlanta on Aug. 16. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024 and didn’t pitch in 2025.
Kerr said he was told Wednesday he would start on Thursday.
“It was fun. It was a journey," Kerr said of his path back to the majors. “I’ve dreamed about stuff like this. For it to actually happen, I still haven’t even processed yet.”
Philadelphia's 2022 World Series loss to Houston began a streak of five straight postseason appearances with progressively quicker exits — the NL Championship Series, two NLDS exits and now the Wild Card Series loss.
“If you don’t win the last game, it’s a crash landing no matter what. It doesn’t matter where it is,” Mattingly said.
The game drew a sellout of 41,731 after the Braves fell short of sellouts in the first two games of the series, with school and work conflicting with the 2:15 p.m. first pitch for many fans. Afternoon starts also hurt attendance in other Wild Card Series games this week.
The announced attendance at Truist Park was 30,127 on Tuesday and 37,150 on Wednesday.
Edmundo Sosa remained in the Phillies' starting lineup at third base after he appeared to aggravate a groin injury running to first base and left Wednesday's game in the ninth inning. Weiss said Braves right-hander Tyler Mahle, who allowed only one run in seven innings on Wednesday despite feeling an abdominal pull in pregame warmups, was “feeling pretty good” on Thursday.
The Braves will play at Dodger Stadium on Saturday in the opening game of their Division Series against the two-time defending World Series champions.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale points ot the crowd after Game 3 of baseball's NL Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale throws against the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth inning during Game 3 of baseball's NL Wild Card Series, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Atlanta Braves' Michael Harris II hits a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning during Game 3 of baseball's NL Wild Card Series, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Atlanta Braves' Michael Harris II celebrates his three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning during Game 3 of baseball's NL Wild Card Series, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola throws against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning during Game 3 of baseball's NL Wild Card Series, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Ray Kerr waves as he walks to the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning during Game 3 of baseball's NL Wild Card Series, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Atlanta Braves' Michael Harris II, third from left, celebrates his three-run home run with Mauricio Dubón (14), Matt Olson, second from left, and Ronald Acuña Jr., right, against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning during Game 3 of baseball's NL Wild Card Series, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
