Chris Sale absolutely turned back the clock on Thursday night, delivering a complete game shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers and sealing a three-game sweep for the Atlanta Braves in a tight 1-0 win. This wasn’t just some solid outing; Sale brought the heat in a way we haven’t seen in nearly a decade. The game was billed as a classic pitchers’ duel against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Sale certainly delivered.
Sale’s Dominance on the Mound Was Pure Filth
The guy was locked in from pitch one, throwing absolute filth against a tough Dodgers lineup. Sale’s final line? Unbelievable: 9 innings pitched, only 5 hits allowed, zero runs, zero walks, and a season-high 11 strikeouts on 109 pitches. He even finished off by punching out Alex Call! Think about that: a complete game shutout, his first since 2019, a span that includes 117 starts, three All-Star appearances, and a 2024 NL Cy Young Award. How many pitchers in MLB’s modern era, older than 27, have thrown a shutout with double-digit strikeouts and no walks? Just five: Cy Young, Eddie Plank, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, and Randy Johnson. Sale just put himself right there in legendary company. What a performance!
Unleashing That 100.1 MPH Heater
But here’s the absolute kicker, the moment that truly tells you Sale was on a mission: facing Shohei Ohtani in the third inning, he unleashed a 100.1 mph fastball. One hundred-point-one! According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, that was his fastest pitch since July 6, 2018. This dude is 27 and throwing like that again? Wild. He wasn’t done, either, later striking out Ohtani with a 99.6 mph heater, his second-hardest pitch of the night. On the other side, Yamamoto had a perfectly fine outing with 6 1/3 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, and 8 strikeouts. That single run, the only run of the game, came on his very first pitch when Braves catcher Drake Baldwin absolutely destroyed a hanging splitter for a 402-foot homer. The Dodgers’ bullpen kept things tight, allowing only three more singles, but their offense simply couldn’t muster the needed run against Sale. They couldn’t touch him!
The Dodgers Are Officially Looking Over Their Shoulder
This sweep is huge, absolutely massive, especially with the postseason just over a month away. The Braves are now only one game back from the Dodgers for the No. 2 seed in the NL, with the Milwaukee Brewers holding onto the MLB-best record at 82-51. That’s a tight race, and Sale just tightened it up even more. But for the two-time defending champions in Los Angeles? This is a flashing red light they cannot ignore. They’ve gone a shocking 1-12 since July 31 against teams currently holding a playoff spot. That’s not exactly the best sign for a team looking to make another deep run. With Sale bringing that kind of heat and the Braves closing in, the pressure is officially ON for the Dodgers, big time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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