The Atlanta Braves made a trade with the Boston Red Sox before the season to acquire Chris Sale, with their sights set on winning another World Series. Sale is emerging as one of the league’s top offseason signings, even ahead of the All-Star break.
Tuesday’s 6-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks gave the left-hander his 12th win of the season, which leads the MLB. According to the Associated Press, Sale and Atlanta are still aiming for a far greater feat even though he may now lead the team in wins.
Sale declared, “This team and winning games for this team are the most important thing.” “The most crucial thing is that we are focusing on the prize.”
Sale tossed 5.1 innings of two-run ball in the victory, giving up five hits and three walks while striking out nine. Sale’s biggest obstacle came at the beginning of the game, even though the runs that were scored against him came in the sixth inning following his removal. He gave up two walks and a single to load the bases. However, Jake McCarthy’s ground out to conclude the inning gave Sale a chance to get into a rhythm.
Sale added, “It was a grind tonight. After that first inning, I thought, “Okay, let’s take a deep breath, refocus, and get back to it.”
With the victory, Atlanta’s record now stands at 51-39 for the season—their fourth straight. The Braves lead the battle by 4.5 games for the top Wild Card berth, even though they are 7.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. Sale must continue to perform at the very best level if the team hopes to finish in the postseason or even beat the Phillies.
Chris Sale’s career is taking off with the Braves
Pitcher Chris Sale (51), of the Atlanta Braves, delivers a pitch at Chase Field in Phoenix on July 9, 2024.
USA TODAY NETWORK/The Republic/Owen Ziliak
With the Braves, Sale has made 17 starts and has a 12-3 record, 2.74 ERA, and a 136/22 K/BB ratio. In addition to having the most victories in the league, he ranks fourth in strikeouts and sixth in ERA. Sale was nominated for an All-Star team for the first time since 2018.
In order to get Sale, Atlanta had to send Vaughn Grissom, one of their former top prospects, to the Red Sox. Given that Sale’s time in Boston came to an end due to injury, the deal was based primarily on prospective value. Between 2020 and 22 he had just 11 total game appearances.
In 2023, Sale had a strong comeback by starting 20 games. Nevertheless, during his 102.2 innings, he only had a 4.30 ERA with a 125/29 K/BB ratio. Reemergence was evident, but more significantly, Sale seemed to be in good health. The Braves made the bold decision to throw caution to the wind and wager that the left-hander will fully recover in 2024.
Chris Sale has been one of the top pitchers in baseball, so Atlanta really struck it lucky. Even though wins by pitching aren’t the most important statistic, it’s still remarkable that Sale has been able to win all but five of his starts. The Braves just need Sale to keep doing what he has been doing as they enter the second half.
A shift in perspective as one ascended Sale and returned to MLB’s summits. The Braves and Sale are both aiming for a World Series victory, so Atlanta won’t give up easily at the end of the season.
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