Chris Sale put in one of his best performances of the season at Fenway Park on Thursday. The veteran left-hander powered Atlanta to a 10-2 win over the Boston Red Sox while showing a noticeable jump in velocity throughout the afternoon.
His performance may now force the Atlanta Braves to rethink how they handle his rest schedule moving forward. Sale’s four-seam fastball averaged 97 mph, his highest average velocity in a game since the 2019 season opener. Braves writer Mark Bowman reported on X that Sale looked energized early in the game.
The 37-year-old attacked hitters immediately and fired several 98 mph fastballs during the opening inning against his former team. After the game, Sale credited both the emotional return to Boston and the extra rest he received before the start.
Sale admitted that pitching at Fenway Park still means a lot to him. He still spends part of the offseason in Boston and said he appreciates the city and organization after spending several years there before Atlanta acquired him ahead of the 2024 season.
The Braves now face an important decision regarding their ace. Sale’s added velocity came after he received a couple of extra days between starts, and the results immediately stood out. Atlanta could now consider building more rest into his schedule whenever possible if it helps him maintain that level of stuff deep into the season.
Although Sale did not work as deep into the game as usual, he still controlled most of the afternoon. He struck out eight batters and allowed only two earned runs across five innings while earning his eighth victory of the season.
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Sale needed 96 pitches to finish five innings, which snapped his streak of seven consecutive quality starts. Still, he continued one of the most dominant stretches by any pitcher in baseball this year. He now owns an 8-3 record with a 2.01 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 80 strikeouts across 67 innings in 11 starts. Opponents have hit just .198 against him this season.
The left-hander has allowed more than two earned runs only once all season. That rough outing came against the Los Angeles Angels on April 6, when he surrendered six runs in four innings. Outside of that game, Sale has consistently pitched like one of the top starters in the National League.
Atlanta’s offense gave Sale plenty of support Thursday afternoon. Ronald Acuña Jr. delivered the biggest swing of the game with a grand slam that cleared the Green Monster during the sixth inning. The Braves won two of three games in Boston and improved to 38-19, extending their lead in the National League East to 8.5 games.
