Chris Sale absolutely went off Thursday night, throwing a complete-game shutout that cemented a 1-0 victory for the Braves against Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sale’s Dominant Outing Against the Dodgers
The veteran pitcher was in a zone, tossing 109 pitches over nine dominant innings. He racked up 11 strikeouts and, get this, didn’t give up a single walk while limiting the mighty Dodgers to just five hits. When asked about it on the Pat McAfee Show Friday, Sale kept it real. “I wish I could tell you I knew it was gonna be like that,” he said. “Anytime you’re facing a team like that, you just try to put your best foot forward. You know it’s gonna be a dogfight, you know it’s not gonna come easy.” You gotta love that humility, even after a performance like that!
Veteran Ace Chasing Another Cy Young
This isn’t just a one-off for the 37-year-old. Sale, who snagged the National League Cy Young Award in 2024, is having a monster 2026 campaign. His record stands at 13-9 across 24 starts, with a rock-solid 2.06 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP. He’s averaging an insane 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings against a tiny 1.8 walks. He’s absolutely in the conversation for the Cy Young again this year. Sale also touched on the bigger picture, talking about setting an example: “I’m doing things that I learned from the guys before me,” he explained. “I hope if there’s something that I do or something that I say or a way I do something, it resonates with somebody and they can use it and then they pass it on. That’s a cool thing.” Talk about a leader on the mound!
The Braves are clearly feeding off this kind of veteran dominance, sitting atop the NL East with a 79-55 record. With Sale pitching like *this*, every start is appointment viewing as he pushes for another Cy Young honor.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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