Sale was charged with the loss in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Dodgers on Tuesday, striking out seven and allowing three runs on seven hits and no walks.
The veteran left-hander started off with three scoreless frames but ran into trouble in the fourth, when Enrique Hernandez and Freddie Freeman each clubbed home runs to account for all three of Los Angeles' runs on the day. Through three playoff appearances this year, Sale has a 4.26 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 19:1 K:BB across 12.2 innings. If Atlanta can win Game 4 on Wednesday, Sale will presumably be available out of the bullpen for Game 5 on Friday given how he was utilized in the wild-card round.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Lined up for Game 3
Rotowire
Sale is expected to start Game 3 of the NLDS against the Dodgers on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
The veteran left-hander made a surprise appearance out of the bullpen to close out the Phillies in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series on Thursday, which will end up pushing back his first start of the NLDS. Sale covered 7.2 frames between his two wild-card appearances versus Philadelphia, striking out 12 with three runs allowed on five hits and one walk.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Availability this weekend TBD
Rotowire
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Friday that Sale starting NLDS Game 2 versus the Dodgers on Sunday is "still on the table" after Sale threw 1.1 scoreless innings Thursday to close out the wild-card series win over the Phillies, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Sale threw 21 pitches Thursday, and Weiss cautioned Friday regarding the lefty that the club is "gonna err on the side of giving him (time to rest) if it's even close." It seems Weiss' preference would be to hold Sale back for Game 3 in Atlanta on Tuesday, but it would not be a surprise if the left-hander talks his way into a start Sunday.
Sale pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to close out Atlanta's victory over Philadelphia in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series on Thursday. He allowed one hit and no walks while striking out three.
Sale threw 95 pitches during Atlanta's Game 1 win, and he returned to the mound only two days later to eliminate the division-rival Phillies. The veteran left-hander induced five whiffs on 21 pitches Thursday as he made just his second relief appearance since the 2018 playoffs, when he worked out of the bullpen twice during Boston's World Series run. Even without the relief appearance, Sale would have been on short rest to start Game 1 of the NLDS against the Dodgers on Saturday, which makes him a logical candidate to pitch Sunday in Game 2, especially since that would still him up for a potential winner-take-all Game 5.
Sale didn't factor in the decision in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies on Tuesday. He struck out nine while giving up three runs on four hits and a walk over 6.1 innings.
The veteran left-hander surrendered a run during the first inning but shut down Philadelphia for the next five frames before he put on two runners in the seventh that came around to score on righty reliever Didier Fuentes. Sale made just three starts in September as the club managed his workload down the stretch, and he looked plenty fresh Tuesday, touching 100 mph and throwing 95 pitches (65 strikes). Atlanta completed the comeback, and should it complete the series win, Sale tentatively lines up to pitch in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Dodgers on Sunday.
Sale took a no-decision Wednesday against the Reds, striking out 10 while allowing one run on four hits and no walks in 5.2 innings.
Sale looked sharp once again in what was a tune-up start ahead of the playoffs. The southpaw fell a lone out shy of extending his streak of quality starts to 10, and he fanned double-digit hitters for the fifth time this year. He'll end the regular season with a 2.16 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 200:31 K:BB in 162.2 innings for the ninth 200-strikeout campaign of his decorated career.
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