Sale Throws Complete Game as Braves Sweep Dodgers

ATLANTA — Having thrown 97 pitches by the end of the eighth inning on Thursday, Chris Sale strode across the dugout, approached Braves manager Walt Weiss, and made his intentions perfectly clear.

“I’m finishing this,” Sale insisted.

It took only a dozen more pitches for Sale to complete his gem, holding onto Atlanta’s slim 1-0 advantage to secure a series sweep over the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, demonstrating once more that at age 37, he remains at the peak of his powers.

In his matchup against Shohei Ohtani, Sale delivered his two hardest pitches since the 2018 season, on his way to throwing his first full-game shutout since 2019. Two years removed from claiming his inaugural Cy Young trophy, his ERA now sits at a stellar 2.06, second in the majors only to Jacob Misiorowski. Additionally, Sale has held opponents to three runs or fewer in 21 straight outings.

“An argument can easily be made that, despite his already illustrious career, he is pitching as spectacularly now as he ever has,” commented Weiss. “It is truly incredible.”

Sale’s fastball had not touched 100 mph since July 6, 2018, back when he was a 29-year-old pre-Tommy John surgery ace for the championship-bound Boston Red Sox. He hit that milestone once more during Thursday’s third inning, pumping a 100.1 mph heater that Ohtani managed to foul away. Two frames later, Sale fired a high 99.6 mph fastball out of the zone—marking his second highest velocity mark since 2018—resulting in a swinging strikeout by Ohtani.

“Let’s be honest—that man is achieving feats that are completely unprecedented,” Sale remarked regarding Ohtani. “All things considered, he’s likely the greatest player I’ve ever witnessed. When matching up with elite talent, you have to elevate your game. Fortunately, it went my way tonight.”

Over the course of the game, Sale surrendered just five hits, issued zero free passes, and fanned 11 batters, with only a single Los Angeles runner advancing past first base. At the age of 37 years and 150 days, he became the oldest starter to register a double-digit strikeout, zero-walk shutout since Randy Johnson’s perfect game in 2004 against Atlanta, and the oldest to blank the Dodgers franchise since Rick Reuschel achieved the feat on July 3, 1987.

According to data from ESPN Research, this was Sale’s 28th career game featuring at least 10 strikeouts without allowing a run, tying him with Max Scherzer for the fifth-highest total since the pitching rubber was set at its modern distance in 1893. The only players ahead of them are Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, and Nolan Ryan.

“It is not fun facing him,” admitted Mookie Betts, who previously played alongside Sale in Boston. “I have witnessed it from his dugout, so I understand how exciting it is for them. But as an opponent, there are times when you simply have to tip your cap. He was in a groove and executing his pitches flawlessly, which is typical for him.”

The veteran left-hander also pitched under a cloud of personal grief. Prior to the matchup, he was informed that Ashley Foss, a beloved family friend, had passed away from cancer at the age of 42. Foss’ father and brother have managed Sale’s financial affairs at his agency for many years, allowing a deep bond to grow between them over the decades.

“It was an unusual feeling on the hill,” Sale reflected. “I felt as though a guiding force was supporting me out there. I have no doubt that she was watching over me.”

The victory pushed Atlanta’s record to 79-55, bringing them within a single game of the Dodgers for the National League’s second seed and a coveted first-round postseason bye. The game’s lone run came courtesy of the very first pitch thrown by Los Angeles starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, when rookie catcher Drake Baldwin launched an over-the-plate splitter 402 feet over the right-field wall for a solo home run.

Sale carried the team the rest of the way, completing the entire game on an evening when Atlanta’s relief corps was heavily depleted.

“He was highly driven tonight,” remarked Weiss. “It was obvious from the start. He went right after hitters from his very first throw. He always has high intensity, but there was a distinct determination about him this evening. His focus is always sharp, but it went to another level tonight.”