Chris Sale has start pushed back to next week

Mahle was a tremendous deadline acquisition for the Braves this year, pitching to a 1.99 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 48/9 K/BB ratio in 54 1/3 innings after the trade. He also allowed just three runs (two earned) on nine hits in 13 1/3 playoff innings while posting a 10/2 K/BB ratio. Increased reliance on his splitter and throwing more fastballs up in the zone were crucial to his success, so hopefully any team he signs with would try to replicate that.

Mahle has exceeded even the most wildly optimistic expectations after coming over from the Giants at the trade deadline as he’s now allowed just two runs over 13 1/3 innings across a pair of starts this postseason. The 32-year-old impending free agent completely shut down Los Angeles’ star-studded lineup into the middle innings before being lifted with one out in the seventh inning after throwing 85 pitches (54 strikes). He finished with four strikeouts and allowed just four baserunners. The first run against him came in the second inning when Mauricio Dubón dropped a shallow pop up that allowed Shohei Ohtani to cross the plate. He was charged with an additional run following his departure in the seventh.

Sale wriggled out of a first-inning jam by punching out Shohei Ohtani on a nasty slider and piled up six punchouts over three shutout frames to open the contest. He ran into trouble in the fourth when postseason hero Enrique Hernández slugged a two-run shot to left field before former Braves icon Freddie Freeman took him deep to right-center field, an absolutely stunning turn of events for the veteran ace after allowing just 10 homers across 162 2/3 regular-season innings. It was the first time he served up multiple home runs in a postseason outing since his playoff debut back in 2017. He returned to toss a perfect fifth inning before departing after 95 pitches (62 strikes), with Atlanta manager Walt Weiss turning to his bullpen to open the sixth. It’s a virtual lock that Sale will get the ball again at some point, most likely in relief, as the best-of-five series continues.

Even without the relief appearance on Thursday, Sale would have been starting on four days’ rest had he pitched in Game 2, and he hadn’t done that since way back on Apr. 6, when he allowed six runs in four innings against the Angels. Sale starting in Game 3 and potentially coming out of the pen in Game 5 might always have been the best plan for Atlanta.

Kerr did an exceptional job in that role in a must-win situation in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series against the Phillies, allowing just one hit and one walk over 3 1/3 scoreless innings. The expectation is that once again Grant Holmes will follow him in a bulk role, though that has not been confirmed yet.

Lane Thomas, who finished up on the IL with an intercostal strain, is a possibility to be activated. The pitchers, though, will have to wait for a potential NLCS. Elder is coming off knee surgery and hoped to be ready for the series. Pérez missed the end of the season with a back strain.

Braves manager Walt Weiss hasn’t ruled out using Sale on Sunday, but that wouldn’t have been ideal even if Sale didn’t pitch in relief; Sunday would put him on four days’ rest from his start Tuesday, and he hasn’t pitched on four days’ rest since the first week of April. “We’re gonna err on the side of giving him (time to rest) if it’s even close,” Weiss said. Most likely, Sale will start Game 3 on Tuesday.

The plan is for Grant Holmes to operate as a bulk reliever, but it will be Kerr who opens the game. The left-hander pitched to a 1.47 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, and 11/2 K/BB ratio in 18 1/3 innings for the Braves this season. Lefties hit .174 off of him with just one extra-base hit in 26 batters faced, so his job will be to keep Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper from doing damage in the first inning.

Holmes seems like the obvious choice to take the ball either as a traditional starter or bulk reliever after a lefty opener after Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle worked the first two games of the best-of-three series. It’ll be a massive spot for the 30-year-old righty to make his postseason debut with Atlanta facing elimination in a decisive Game 3 showdown at Truist Park.

Mahle, making his first career postseason start at age 32, was on the ropes early, giving up a double and two singles to the first four batters he faced. However, he escaped with just one run in after a grounder back to the mound and a strikeout. He then allowed just three more hits over his remaining six innings. He left with the score tied 1-1, but he was put in line for the win when the Braves scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, only to watch Dylan Lee give up back-to-back homers to tie things up in the eighth.