Taxed with a fatigued bullpen, the visiting Atlanta Braves would love nothing more than a long outing from their starting pitcher on Tuesday night, when they play the second contest of a three-game set against the New York Mets.
Luckily for the Braves, they’ve got the right guy on the mound in left-hander Chris Sale.
After Atlanta’s relievers were put to the test in a weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles, the Braves sent Connor Thomas to the mound for just the fourth game of his major league career in a 3-3 game on Monday. Thomas allowed 11 runs on 10 hits across just 2 2/3 innings in a 14-3 loss.
Anchoring a staff in need of reinforcements, Sale (11-6, 2.19 ERA) will search for his third straight win and fourth in his last five outings.
Sale, 37, allowed three runs on five hits across six innings on Thursday, tying a season high with 11 strikeouts and walking just one in a 6-5 victory over the San Diego Padres.
After injuries derailed the end of his tenure with the Boston Red Sox, Sale was shipped to the Braves in December 2023 for shortstop Vaughn Grissom — who was traded again two years later. Since Sale arrived in Atlanta, he’s revitalized his career and is in the conversation for his second National League Cy Young Award in the last three years.
“I’ve talked about him glowingly all year, and I’ll continue to do so,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said of Sale. “He’s the real deal. … It defies logic, really. After all the time he missed in Boston and then coming here and doing what he’s done to rejuvenate an already great career, at this point in his career, is amazing.”
Sale is 36-14 with a 2.39 ERA with Atlanta. He is in his third year with the team.
Sale is 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA in six career starts against the Mets. He faced them on July 4, tossing five innings of three-run, seven-hit ball, striking out three and walking two in a 14-3 victory.
Monday served as a highlight for the Mets in an otherwise lackluster season. New York has won back-to-back games for the first time since before the All-Star break after its second-highest scoring output of the year.
Francisco Lindor hit two home runs and drove in six runs for the Mets, while Tyrone Taylor had three hits and three RBIs.
“Tyrone Taylor continues to do some impressive stuff,” New York interim manager Andy Green said. “Obviously, Lindor with the two home runs and triple as well. Up and down the lineup, we had really good at-bats (on Monday).”
The Mets will counter Sale with right-hander Christian Scott (3-2, 3.13 ERA), who’s coming off his shortest outing since his season debut on April 23. Scott lasted just 3 2/3 innings, yielding three runs on four hits while striking out six and walking three in a 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.
Scott, 27, faced the Braves on July 3, allowing three runs on two hits in four innings, striking out seven and walking four in a 5-3 loss. He is 0-2 with a 5.40 in two career starts against Atlanta.
–Field Level Media
