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The Atlanta Braves came out of the All-Star break looking rested, loose, and ready to bury somebody, and Chris Sale made sure the night played out exactly that way.
The veteran lefty threw seven scoreless innings in Friday's 15-1 win over the Texas Rangers at Truist Park, giving up just two hits with six strikeouts, no walks, and only 89 pitches.
His fourth punchout of the night, a fifth-inning strikeout of Ezequiel Duran, was the 2,700th of his career, a number only 26 other pitchers in MLB history had reached before him.
Sale improved to 10-6 on the season and became the first Atlanta starter to finish seven innings since he last did it himself back on May 20.
He sat out Tuesday's All-Star Game in Philadelphia to rest up, and afterward he explained why the opener out of the break felt bigger than a typical July start.
"I think it's basically like another opening day," Sale said. "We put a lot of emphasis on the first game of the year, and then there we have this, you know, four-day break, so it's almost like another first game starting the second half."
The offense matched its ace the whole way.
Atlanta racked up 19 hits, every starter had at least one, and Drake Baldwin drove in five runs on a 3-for-4 night that included a 419-foot, three-run homer into the Braves bullpen in the fourth.
Matt Olson followed two batters later with his 26th homer of the season, a 420-foot shot that left the bat at 111 mph, and Austin Riley added his 10th in the eighth.
Michael Harris II just missed a grand slam in the seventh, settling instead for a three-run double off the wall.
Harris was already one of the most surprising Braves of the first half, and his second half opened the same way.
Sale said the dugout felt it early.
"Just basically from the get-go was just an offensive onslaught. It was a lot of fun to be a part of it."
Atlanta's relievers carried a heavy load before the break, and Sale made it a point to mention them when asked what seven innings meant to him.
"We've put a lot on our bullpen," Sale said. "They've been unbelievable for the first half of the season."
The win moved the Braves to 56-40, three games up on Philadelphia in the NL East, while Texas fell to 49-48.
Atlanta is 13-3 in home series openers and a perfect 9-0 in Friday home games.
The rotation behind Sale remains the front office's focus, with the club still looking at starting pitching ahead of the deadline.
Sale has set this tone before, going back to the April sweep of the Phillies, and Friday suggested the second half might follow the same script.
Texas gets another crack at Atlanta on Saturday afternoon.
Continue reading...
The veteran lefty threw seven scoreless innings in Friday's 15-1 win over the Texas Rangers at Truist Park, giving up just two hits with six strikeouts, no walks, and only 89 pitches.
His fourth punchout of the night, a fifth-inning strikeout of Ezequiel Duran, was the 2,700th of his career, a number only 26 other pitchers in MLB history had reached before him.
Sale improved to 10-6 on the season and became the first Atlanta starter to finish seven innings since he last did it himself back on May 20.
He sat out Tuesday's All-Star Game in Philadelphia to rest up, and afterward he explained why the opener out of the break felt bigger than a typical July start.
"I think it's basically like another opening day," Sale said. "We put a lot of emphasis on the first game of the year, and then there we have this, you know, four-day break, so it's almost like another first game starting the second half."
Baldwin Leads a 19-Hit Night
The offense matched its ace the whole way.
Atlanta racked up 19 hits, every starter had at least one, and Drake Baldwin drove in five runs on a 3-for-4 night that included a 419-foot, three-run homer into the Braves bullpen in the fourth.
Matt Olson followed two batters later with his 26th homer of the season, a 420-foot shot that left the bat at 111 mph, and Austin Riley added his 10th in the eighth.
Michael Harris II just missed a grand slam in the seventh, settling instead for a three-run double off the wall.
Harris was already one of the most surprising Braves of the first half, and his second half opened the same way.
Sale said the dugout felt it early.
"Just basically from the get-go was just an offensive onslaught. It was a lot of fun to be a part of it."
Picking Up the Bullpen
Atlanta's relievers carried a heavy load before the break, and Sale made it a point to mention them when asked what seven innings meant to him.
"We've put a lot on our bullpen," Sale said. "They've been unbelievable for the first half of the season."
The win moved the Braves to 56-40, three games up on Philadelphia in the NL East, while Texas fell to 49-48.
Atlanta is 13-3 in home series openers and a perfect 9-0 in Friday home games.
The rotation behind Sale remains the front office's focus, with the club still looking at starting pitching ahead of the deadline.
Sale has set this tone before, going back to the April sweep of the Phillies, and Friday suggested the second half might follow the same script.
Texas gets another crack at Atlanta on Saturday afternoon.
Continue reading...
