Do not say it too loud. Maybe whisper it.
You wouldn’t want to jinx it.
Chris Sale, it appears, is the best version of himself. He is healthy and dealing.
Sale on Friday led Atlanta to a 6-2 series-opening win over Cleveland at Truist Park. At 18-6, Atlanta has the best record in baseball.
Five observations:
1. Asked if this is the best he has felt in six years, Sale smiled.
“I wish you guys would stop talking about it,” he said, laughing, as he sat at the table in the press conference room.
Then he inspected the table. He knocked on it.
“Is this made of wood?” he said.
“No, it’s plastic,” he followed, answering his own question.
But again: We wouldn’t want to jinx Sale. It appears he’s channeling his old self.
“I put a lot of work into this offseason,” Sale said. “I missed some time last year (because of a stress reaction in my left shoulder blade) and I really put a lot of emphasis on strengthening my shoulder and getting stronger, and just being healthy.
“I owed it to obviously whatever team I was playing for. At the time, it was Boston. I just wanted to give it one last good go at it, and see where it got me. And then obviously you get traded to a new team, you get kind of a shot of energy there, a little boost. Basically from January 1, it was, ‘Let’s get after it. Let’s help this team. Let’s do what you’re supposed to do and try to get back to who you were before.’”
He’s doing that.
This will give you some context: On Friday, Sale logged seven innings for the third consecutive start. Before this, he hadn’t turned in three straight starts of seven innings or better since June 2018 – almost six years ago.
“I love it. I absolutely love it,” right-handed reliever Pierce Johnson said. “His fire on the mound, his intensity. I think it really just kind of feeds over into the hitters and the position players, and honestly, to the bullpen, too. We get fired up for him. It’s just been really cool to see. Love to see the way he goes about his business. Just a true professional, great clubhouse guy. So, just a huge acquisition for this offseason.”
2. Minutes after he took the mound, Sale watched a ball sail over the right-field wall and toward the Chop House.
Over the next couple hours, Sale was nearly flawless. He painted a masterpiece. He overpowered Cleveland.
Sale threw seven innings of one-run baseball – the lone run coming on Steven Kwan’s leadoff homer. Sale gave up two hits and issued one walk.
But here’s the catch: The hits and walk came in the first two innings.
Sale retired the final 17 batters he faced. The Guardians didn’t reach base against him after the second inning.
“The plan, as a starting pitcher, is to post, first and foremost,” Sale said. “Being healthy, it’s huge for every (player). I think being healthy and staying healthy throughout the season is key. You can’t help the team if you’re not there, and I’ve unfortunately been there a lot. So yeah, it’s nice to get off to a good start. When you got an offense like this and a defense that’s making plays, it allows you to go out there and just kind of throw strikes.”
The left-hander was remarkably efficient as his outing progressed. He hurled 42 pitches over the first two innings, which made it seem like he might be ticketed for a shorter start. Then he threw 28 over the next three innings combined and had 70 pitches through five frames.
And as Sale dealt, the Guardians – who hit for contact and not for power – had no chance against him.
Sale seems close to the guy who tore through lineups earlier in his career, no?
“He looks right there,” Matt Olson said. “He’s mixing it up well. A lot of uncomfortable swings over these last few starts, and that normally tells it all.”
Sale has pitched into the sixth inning, or deeper, in all five starts this season. And before collecting only two hits in 24 at-bats against Sale, Guardians batters were .292 against left-handed pitching this season, which was the highest average in the American League and second highest in the majors. Cleveland entered play hitting .322 versus lefty starters.
One quirky stat: Three of the four homers Sale has given up this season have been leadoff shots.
“If I could just get over the hump of that first hitter of the game, we’d be all right,” Sale joked.
3. When they arrived at Truist Park on Friday, the Braves’ relievers had combined to throw 77 2/3 innings this season – fewest in baseball.
Yes, this is a tad skewed because the Braves haven’t played as many games as most other clubs due to early rainouts. But the bullpen’s light usage to this point highlights the most comforting trend around the Braves right now.
The starters are pacing this team. And because of it, the bullpen can rest.
“Oh, I mean, that’s such a game-changer,” Johnson said. “We’ve got some frontline starters who have been carrying the load for us right now. Being able to get your days of rest, you still get your work in, you’re not spending too much time down, but being able to still get your work in and rest a little bit, especially when the hot summer is coming along and those dog days come, it’s gonna be a game-changer.”
Before Friday, Atlanta’s starters had averaged 6 2/3 innings over the six games in this homestand – most in the big leagues since April 19. Then Sale added his seven-inning performance.
In seven games this homestand, the Braves have gotten six quality starts – defined as a starting pitcher going at least six innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs.
“It’s been unbelievable,” Sale said. “We put a lot of pressure on the bullpen early on, those first weeks of the season. They were picking up some bulk there. Over the last probably week, 10 days-ish, somewhere around there, it’s been nice to be able to pick up the bulk of that. That’s what we’re here to do – get through six, seven, eight innings.”
4. In the fourth inning, Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run double to give the Braves a lead they never relinquished. Ozuna’s 31 RBIs are six more than anyone else in baseball, and nine more than anyone else in the National League.
“It’s been fun to watch,” Olson said. “He’s been locked in, hitting all kinds of pitches (to) all different areas of the field. Not a fun guy to pitch to right now.”
And in the fifth inning, Olson swung 3-0 and drove in a run of his own with a single – another encouraging sign after he snapped a career-worst 0-for-25 skid on Wednesday.
“I feel like it’s been a slow tick back up,” Olson said. “Baby steps for now.”
In his return from the injured list, Ozzie Albies hit a run-scoring single. Two innings later, Orlando Arcia homered.
“It’s good to have him back,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Albies. “It’s always good when you’ve got Ozzie on the field and involved in the game. And he kind of picked up right where he left off.”
5. With Friday’s win, the Braves have won four in a row and 10 of their last 11.
Baseball is such a daily grind for players, so it’s imperative to cherish the good times.
“Yeah, you have to,” Sale said. “You gotta hold onto this. This game can come and go. You’ve gotta ride it out. You’ve gotta appreciate it for what it is, but not get complacent, not get lackadaisical. With this staff, with this group, that’s impossible to do. It’s just a lot of fun to come here and play baseball every day. Everyone’s putting in the work, everyone goes out there and grinds to every inch of their ability.”
Stat to know
30 of 30 - Cleveland on Friday made its Truist Park debut, the last major-league team to do so.
Quotable
“He’s been everything (that was) advertised, and what we expected. It’s been fun watching him.” - Snitker on Sale
Up next
On Saturday at 7:20 p.m., Charlie Morton will go against the Guardians, who will start right-hander Tanner Bibee.
