Chris Sale had some of the worst injury luck in modern MLB history during a five-year stretch for the Boston Red Sox, but make no mistake, this man is a warrior. Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss said so himself after the National League East champions earned a 6-2 Wild Card Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night. Sale told his skipper that he could pitch in the decisive Game 3, even though he threw 95 pitches just two nights earlier. His work-horse mentality enabled him to achieve special playoff history, once again.
The 37-year-old southpaw allowed just one hit while recording three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings, and in doing so, he notably threw the first and last pitches for the Braves in this playoff series. Sale is the first hurler to achieve this impressive feat since he himself did it for the Red Sox in the 2018 World Series, per OptaSTATs. Again, this man has always been a terrific competitor. His body was the problem, not his heart or mind.
He does not seem too worried about getting hurt now, however. Sale fired another 21 pitches versus the Phillies in Game 3, embracing his role as the Braves' ace. The 2024 NL Cy Young and Pitching Triple Crown winner understands what it is asked of stars during October, and he wants to shoulder the burden.
Article Continues BelowThe workload could get heavier now that Atlanta has booked an NL Division Series showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chris Sale will not get the opportunity to set the tone in Chavez Ravine, but he plans to take the mound for Game 2 this Sunday.
The Braves should be mighty grateful for No. 51's moxie, because they will need all the postseason gumption they can handle against the two-time defending World Series champions.