Braves could turn to Chris Sale for third time in six days
Chris Sale may need to be the savior again.
For the third time in six days, the Braves could ask their left-handed ace to give them a chance to win in the playoffs. Sale did it Tuesday with 6 1/3 strong innings in a 5-3 win over the Phillies. He did it Thursday by getting the final four outs to clinch the National League wild-card series.
Now, after totaling 116 pitches in those two outings, Sale may take the ball at 5 p.m. local time at Dodger Stadium, where the Dodgers will try to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five National League Division Series.
Braves manager Walt Weiss was noncommittal Saturday morning about naming Sale the Sunday starter. He remained that way after Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the Dodgers.
“We still haven’t decided yet. We’ll have some conversations about this. So, not sure who’s going to start. That’s where we’re at right now,” Weiss said postgame.
Sunday’s game is not necessarily a must-win, but it’s about as close to being one without meeting the definition.
The Dodgers used only four relievers in Saturday’s victory, one of which (Evan Phillips) threw only 12 pitches in the ninth inning. And they have another Cy Young Award-winning lefty, Blake Snell, on the docket for Sunday’s start.
Sale, who declined to comment to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after Saturday’s game, would give the Braves — on paper, anyway — the best chance to match Snell’s ability.
“A lot of it comes down to how Chris Sale is feeling. The deciding factor is always going to be how (Sale) is feeling,” Weiss said Saturday morning. “When we came in the other night (Thursday), the first words out of his mouth were ‘I feel amazing.’ If he were to come in (Sunday) morning and say ‘I feel amazing,’ there’s a chance he pitches (Sunday).”
There are some other options.
Grant Holmes, a starter during the regular season, pitched two innings of relief and threw 28 pitches Thursday. The Braves could throw a third bullpen game in as many contests — Ray Kerr, Robert Suárez, Raisel Iglesias and Dylan Lee all did not pitch Saturday. Rookie right-hander JR Ritchie, a starter, was also unused.
The Braves could risk leaving Sale for Tuesday’s third game of the series at Truist Park and have Tyler Mahle start Game 4 on Wednesday — if there is a Game 4.
Weiss also somewhat scoffed at the idea that Sale pitching Sunday is mandatory.
“To me, it’s not that big a deal when he pitches,” the first-year manager said. “He’s going to pitch in this series. Dodgers can’t win it in two. So he’s going to pitch. It really doesn’t matter when.”
Throughout much of the season, the Braves were cautious with Sale’s workload. He threw just shy of 163 innings in his 27 starts, and at times pitched on six days — and even seven days — rest.
Perhaps that helped keep the 37-year-old’s motor in good shape for this postseason run, which is now at its second major crossroads in four days’ time.
“I feel like you’ve seen the last two times he’s went out there, he goes out there, does what he does best and throws strikes. He keeps hitters off-balance and has really good stuff,” Braves catcher Drake Baldwin said. “I would expect nothing less if he’s out on that mound.
“You’ve seen what he’s done the last couple years. Whenever he’s out there, we’re feeling pretty good.”