Sale (0-2) took the loss against the Rays on Sunday, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks with seven strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
Sale threw 63 of 98 pitches for strikes and limited hard contact, but he failed to complete the fifth inning for a second straight start. The veteran southpaw has yet to go beyond five innings in any of his four outings this season, yielding at least three earned runs in each of the them. As a result, he'll carry a 6.63 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 24:4 K:BB across 19 innings into a home matchup with the Twins next weekend.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Struggles against Philadelphia
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Sale (0-1) didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Phillies. He allowed five runs on nine hits while striking out five across 4.2 innings.
Sale gave up three runs in the third inning, and the veteran southpaw allowed a fifth run in the fifth frame on a 462-foot solo homer to center field from Kyle Schwarber. Sale managed to generate 60 strikes on 86 pitches (including 15 whiffs) and has logged 17 strikeouts over his first three starts, but he's also registered a 6.75 ERA and 1.36 WHIP across 14.2 innings. He's tentatively slated to face the Rays on the road this weekend, when he'll look to earn his first win of the 2025 campaign.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Stumbles in sixth inning
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Sale (0-1) was charged with the loss Tuesday against the Dodgers after giving up three runs on four hits and no walks across five-plus innings. He struck out five.
The veteran left-hander was dominant through five frames with just a single and two hit batsmen allowed, but three straight hits to start the sixth inning, including a two-run homer by Mookie Betts, resulted in three runs and soured the performance. Sale has now surrendered three runs over five frames in each of his first two outings of the season, which is an underwhelming start to 2025 for the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Strikes out seven in no-decision
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Sale didn't factor into the decision in Thursday's loss to the Padres, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out seven.
Sale's 2025 campaign got off to a rocky start after Jackson Merrill drove in a pair of runs with a two-out single in the first inning. The reigning NL Cy Young winner would settle in, holding the Padres to one run over his final four innings before departing with a one-run lead. Sale was dominant in his age-35 season last year, posting a 2.38 ERA. 1.01 WHIP and 225 strikeouts in 29 starts. He's currently in line to face the Dodgers on the road in his next outing.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Wraps up spring in style
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Sale gave up three hits and a walk over four scoreless innings during Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays. He struck out five.
The veteran southpaw finishes his spring with a 2.79 ERA and 20:5 K:BB through 19.1 innings. Sale's checkered injury history wasn't erased by last year's National League Cy Young Award -- he hasn't worked 25-plus starts in back-to-back seasons since 2018-19 -- but he's shown no hint of a health concern in camp and looks ready to take the bump for Atlanta on Opening Day, just three days before his 36th birthday.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Officially tapped for Opening Day
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Atlanta announced Monday that Sale will be its Opening Day starter March 27 in San Diego.
If there was any doubt the reigning National League Cy Young winner would be taking the ball for the opener, the club has now removed it. Sale has followed up his Cy Young-winning campaign with a nice spring, posting a 3.52 ERA and 15:4 K:BB over 15.1 frames.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Dazzles in Tuesday's outing
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Sale walked one and struck out four over four scoreless, no-hit innings during Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner looked to be nearly in regular-season form as he carved up a Minnesota lineup that included plenty of potential Opening Day starters, with his strikeouts coming against the likes of Matt Wallner, Ty France and Jose Miranda. Sale's outing was even more encouraging considering that Drake Baldwin was getting the start at catcher in place of Sean Murphy (ribs), as Atlanta could elect to bring the prospect north on the 26-man roster. Sale remains on track to get the Opening Day nod against the Padres on March 27.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Breezes through first spring action
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Sale tossed two perfect innings with zero strikeouts in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.
Atlanta's southpaw ace tossed 14 of 21 pitches for strikes, per David O'Brien of The Athletic, topping out at 95 mph with his fastball and not even featuring his plus-plus slider, which helps explain the lack of whiffs. Sale is happy with where he is with his mechanics at this stage of the spring, and after winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2024 while becoming the first pitcher in franchise history to record a Triple Crown by leading the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and Ks (225), he's on track to get the Opening Day assignment for Atlanta on the road against the Padres on March 27.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Will kick off spring schedule
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Sale will get the start Saturday for Atlanta's Grapefruit League opener against the Twins, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner is almost certain to get the Opening Day start as well, but Atlanta has yet to make that official. Sale's 29 starts and 177.2 innings in 2024 represent his biggest workload since 2017, and the 35-year-old southpaw believes he'll be able to stay mostly healthy again this season. "I kind of found a routine that really worked well for me last year, and when I needed to adjust, I could," Sale said this week. "So again, I'm basically just trying to replicate what last offseason looked like, and then kind of do the same thing through spring training and hopefully it translates to the season." Manager Brian Snitker indicated that Sale's routine would once again include an extra day or two of rest between his starts, as Sale rarely worked on only four days' rest in 2024.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Recovered from back injury
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Sale said Wednesday that he is fully recovered from the back spasms that kept him off Atlanta's roster for the National League Wild Card Series, Lindsay Crosby of AthlonSports.com reports.
Sale made his last appearance of the season Sept. 19 because of the injury, but he had progressed enough that he was scheduled to start Game 3 of the NLDS, had Atlanta advanced. The left-hander is expected to have a normal offseason. Sale was named the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner Wednesday after posting a 2.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 225:39 K:BB over 177.2 innings for Atlanta in 2024.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Throws bullpen session
Rotowire
Sale (back) threw a bullpen session Friday and would have been on the NLDS roster had Atlanta advanced, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Sale had to be scratched from the last game of the regular season and was left off the wild-card series roster because of back spasms. However, it would appear the injury isn't major, and the left-hander should have a normal offseason. Sale is the National League Cy Young favorite after going 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 225:39 K:BB over 177.2 innings.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Left off wild-card roster
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Sale (back) is not on Atlanta's roster for its National League Wild Card Series against the Padres.
Sale is dealing with back spasms, an injury which he's dealt with off and on for a while and which flared up Sunday. It's possible he will be an option to join Atlanta's rotation during the NLDS, should it advance, but that's up in the air for now. Bryce Elder and AJ Smith-Shawver have made the wild-card roster and one of them is expected to start Game 1 in San Diego.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Status for wild-card round in doubt
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Manager Brian Snitker doesn't believe Sale (back) will be available to pitch during the team's upcoming wild-card series against the Padres, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Sale was scratched from the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Mets due to back spasms, and the issue could force the southpaw to miss the entire first round of the postseason. Snitker notes that Sale hasn't officially been ruled out just yet, but this isn't promising news for Atlanta, which may be forced to rely more upon Max Fried, Reynaldo Lopez and Charlie Morton.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Scratched due to back spasms
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Sale has been scratched from Monday's start against the Mets due to back spasms, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Atlanta is facing a must-win game after losing the first game of Monday's doubleheader, and they will no longer have their ace available after he felt back spasms Sunday. It will be Grant Holmes starting in Sale's place. When or if Sale might be ready for the wild-card series, should Atlanta qualify, is uncertain. General manager Alex Anthopoulos noted that Sale's injury is a day-to-day situation, which would seem to offer hope he could pitch at some point during the wild-card series, should Atlanta qualify.
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Braves' Chris Sale: On tap for nightcap of twin bill
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Sale will start the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Mets, if necessary, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Sale will be waiting in the wings Monday to start the nightcap if Atlanta loses the opener of their doubleheader with New York. The team needs to win one of the two games to clinch a spot in the Wild Card Round on Tuesday, so if Atlanta wins the opener, Sale will shift his focus to getting ready for the postseason. Spencer Schwellenbach will toe the rubber in the first game Monday.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Next start TBD
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Atlanta doesn't plan to start Sale again until it is facing elimination, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Sale had been scheduled to start Wednesday versus the Mets before the game was postponed. Atlanta will go with Max Fried on Friday against the Royals but isn't listing starters yet for Saturday or Sunday. Sale could potentially start as soon as Saturday but could be held back as late as Monday for the rescheduled doubleheader versus the Mets.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Up to 18 wins
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Sale (18-3) earned the win Thursday over Cincinnati, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks across five innings. He struck out six.
While Sale failed to make it through six innings for the first time in eight starts, the left-hander continues to separate himself as the Cy Young favorite -- Sale hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of his last 18 outings. He leads the majors in wins, ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (225) through 29 starts (177.2) innings this season. Sale will look to wrap up the regular season on a high note -- he's currently lined up for a home matchup with the Mets next week in what could be his final start..
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Braves' Chris Sale: Secures 17th win
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Sale (17-3) allowed a run on five hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings to earn the win Saturday over the Dodgers.
Sale has allowed no more than two runs in any of his last seven starts, giving up just six runs with a 54:7 K:BB over 45 innings in that span. He's now gone nine consecutive outings without giving up a home run. Sale trimmed his ERA to 2.35 with a 1.00 WHIP and 219:37 K:BB through 172.2 innings overall across 28 starts this season. He's projected to make his next start at Cincinnati.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Solidifies Cy Young candidacy
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Sale did not factor into the decision in Sunday's win over Toronto, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out seven in six scoreless innings.
Sale was his usual dominant self Sunday, allowing just three baserunners while adding seven strikeouts, giving him an MLB-best 213 on the year. Sale has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in 16 consecutive starts dating back to June 1, a remarkable streak highlighting his consistency. With a league-leading 2.38 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 213:35 K:BB to go with his sparkling 16-3 record, Sale has all but cemented himself as the NL Cy Young Award winner. The southpaw lines up to face the Dodgers next weekend.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Adds to Cy Young candidacy
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Sale (15-3) earned the win over Minnesota on Wednesday, allowing one run on six hits and one walk while striking out six batters over six innings.
Sale didn't give up a run until the sixth inning and logged his fourth consecutive quality start. Over that stretch, he's posted a 1.73 ERA while registering a dominant 32:4 K:BB over 26 frames. Sale is likely the current favorite for the NL Cy Young award -- he's tied for the MLB lead in both wins (15) and punchouts (197), leads all qualified pitchers with a 2.58 ERA and ranks eighth with a 1.02 WHIP. With three more strikeouts, the southpaw will reach 200 punchouts for the eighth time in his career and the first time since 2019.
