"With Billy Wagner injured, the Braves could turn to rookie fireballer Craig Kimbrel as their primary closer.

Wagner, for one, believes the 22-year-old Alabaman is ready to handle the role, even in postseason pressure.

"The hardest person to hit is somebody who gets a lot of swings and misses," Wagner said, and that description certainly fit Kimbrel.

A baby-faced strikeout machine with a 96-97 mph fastball, Kimbrel had five strikeouts in 2-2/3 perfect innings during the first two games of the National League Division Series against San Francisco.

During the regular season, he had a 0.44 ERA and .125 opponents' average in 21 big-league appearances, with a whopping 40 strikeouts in 20-1/3 innings.

In the Braves' 5-4, 11-inning win Friday in Game 2, Kimbrel struck out four batters while pitching perfect eighth and ninth innings at San Francisco, in front of the largest crowed ever at AT