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Stats

Chris Sale serves up two homers in Game 3 loss

Chris Sale

ATL Starting Pitcher #51

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Chris Sale recorded seven strikeouts and surrendered three runs over five innings against the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS on Tuesday.

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.

- George Bissell

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Should athletes time their family planning better?

After Mason Miller was unavailable for a crucial Padres NLDS game due to the birth of his child, Nick Wright and Dan Le Batard tap into an age-old debate: Should athletes be more careful about when they have children?

Up Next

Should athletes time their family planning better?

Yamamoto is ‘second coming’ of Pedro Martinez

White Sox utilizing the bullpen at record levels

Hard to judge Miller for going on paternity list

Hernandez is an all-time postseason performer

Yamamoto pitches another gem in postseason

Padres were lifted by home crowd to win Game 3

Rays take 2-0 lead on the back of Yankees miscues

White Sox could be a legendary underdog story

Yankees unravel in Game 2 against the Rays

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Chris Sale

ATL Starting Pitcher #51

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Braves manager Walt Weiss said Chris Sale isn’t hurt or sore in being bypassed for Game 2 and will start Game 3 against the Dodgers on Tuesday.

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.
Chris Sale

ATL Starting Pitcher #51

Chris Sale might not start Game 2 against the Dodgers after closing out the Wild Card against the Phillies.

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.
Chris Sale

ATL Starting Pitcher #51

Chris Sale struck out nine over 6 1/3 innings while allowing three runs in a no-decision versus the Phillies on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.

Sale allowed just one run while he was in the game, but a pair scored in the seventh after he exited on a two-run triple by J.T. Realmuto. The left-hander was so much better than this line suggests while generating 22 swings-and-misses with 16 of those coming on his slider. Sale remains one of the best starters in baseball — although with more volatility because of durability at age 37 — and if Atlanta can’t come from behind and win, he’ll be the ace of the staff again to start 2027.
Chris Sale

ATL Starting Pitcher #51

Chris Sale allowed four hits and one run with zero walks and 10 strikeouts across 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Reds on Wednesday.

Sale washed away a lead-off home run by Juan Brito to retire the next eight batters he faced with five strikeouts… until Brito came up again and smacked a single. Besides that peculiar thorn in his side, Sale was his usual dominant self, matching a season-high with 23 swings-and-misses and struck out double-digit batters for the fifth time this season. With this being the finale of his regular season, Sale closed his age-37 campaign with a 2.16 ERA, 14 wins, and 200 strikeouts in 162 2/3 innings. The Braves are likely locked in to the third seed in the National League, so Sale is set to pitch next in game one of the Wild Card series next Tuesday.
Chris Sale

ATL Starting Pitcher #51

Chris Sale’s next start has been pushed back to Wednesday against the Reds.

It’s a tough break for fantasy managers in the middle of playoff matchups. However, all indications are that Sale, who was originally scheduled to start on Friday, is healthy and not dealing with any physical issues. The decision appears to be aimed towards setting up Atlanta’s rotation for the postseason schedule. It’ll be Tyler Mahle, Grant Holmes and Martín Pérez getting the ball against the Astros this weekend.
Chris Sale

ATL Starting Pitcher #51

Chris Sale yielded three runs and three hits in seven innings Friday in a no-decision against the Phillies.

He struck out six. All of the runs came with two outs in the third on a single, a walk, a HBP and a bases-loaded double. Sale allowed just one other hit and walk over the remaining six innings, but the one bad frame meant he left down 3-2 before the Braves came back. Sale is lined up to face the Astros and Reds in his final two starts.
Chris Sale

ATL Starting Pitcher #51

Chris Sale allowed six hits and two runs with one walk and seven strikeouts across six innings to earn the win in a 5-2 win over the Phillies on Friday.

There’s simply no stopping Sale right now. This was his eighth straight start going at least six innings and he hasn’t allowed more than three runs since April 6th. If not for Alec Bohm – who drove in the only Phillies’ runs with a double and homer – Sale may not have let up any here. The Phillies did get around on him pretty well here though with 10 hard-hit balls as Sale’s fastball command was a bit inconsistent, but still it’s so difficult to sustain a rally against him. He now has a 2.10 ERA as he makes a late push for the National League Cy Young award and is set to face the Rays at home next time out.
Chris Sale

ATL Starting Pitcher #51

Chris Sale delivered a dazzling performance in Thursday night’s victory over the Dodgers, scattering five hits over nine innings of shutout baseball.

The 37-year-old southpaw piled up 11 strikeouts on the night and didn’t walk a batter, throwing a remarkable 80 of his 109 pitches for strikes. The only real threat against him came as Mookie Betts doubled to lead off the fourth inning, and he never advanced past second base. Sale got 20 swings and misses in the contest — 11 of those on his slider — while posting an elite CSW of 39 percent. Now 13-9 on the season, the Cy Young hopeful will carry a stellar 2.06 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 177/28 K/BB ratio (144 innings) into Wednesday’s matchup against the Nationals in Washington.
Chris Sale

ATL Starting Pitcher #51

Chris Sale lost to the Brewers after allowing two runs in six innings on Friday.

It’s the second straight outing in which Sale has gotten zero run support, and the left-hander fell to 0-3 in August despite turning in quality starts each time out. He’ll take a 12-9 record and a 2.20 ERA into his next turn at home against the Rockies.
Chris Sale

ATL Starting Pitcher #51

Chris Sale allowed five hits and one run with nine strikeouts and zero walks across six innings in a loss to the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Sale was masterful once again here despite his team not being able to muster one run in support. Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin greeted him with a single and double to start the game, but Sale got out of that jam with just one run on the board and didn’t give another inch. He retired 18 of the final 21 batters he faced with his usual high fastballs and diving sliders to stymie the Diamondbacks’ hitters. If not for Jacob Misiorowski, he’d be a shoe-in for his second Cy Young award with a 2.16 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 160 strikeouts, and just 28 walks through 129 innings. Next up. He’s scheduled to face the Twins on the road.

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Garrett Mitchell

MIL Center Fielder #5
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Garrett Mitchell went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI as the Brewers bested the Padres 3-1 in Wednesday’s Game 4 to advance to the NLCS.

The league’s top two seeds will meet in the NLCS, with the Brewers getting home-field advantage over the Dodgers. Even bigger than his offensive contribution tonight was Mitchell taking away a two-run homer from Manny Machado in the eighth. He finished the series 4-for-15.
- Matthew Pouliot

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Robert Gasser

MIL Starting Pitcher #54
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Robert Gasser threw four innings of one-run ball Thursday in the win over the Padres.

It wasn’t clear until this afternoon whether Gasser would get a start in the series, but he did and came through nicely in his first appearance since Sept. 25. Based on this and the way he ended the regular season — he had a 1.67 ERA in his final six starts — he probably ought to be ahead of Dustin May in line for a potential Game 3 start against the Dodgers.
- Matthew Pouliot

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Aaron Ashby

MIL Relief Pitcher #26
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Aaron Ashby kept the Padres hitless for three innings to pick up the win in relief in Wednesday’s Game 4.

Ashby has his first postseason victory after collecting 11 during the regular season. He pitched in three of the four games against the Brewers, turning in 5 2/3 scoreless innings.
- Matthew Pouliot

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Trevor Megill

MIL Relief Pitcher #29
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Trevor Megill tossed a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to finish off the Brewers’ NLDS win over the Padres.

Megill threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings in the series, picking up a victory and two saves. He’s allowed just one run in 10 2/3 innings during his postseason career.
- Matthew Pouliot

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Walker Buehler

SD Starting Pitcher #10
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Walker Buehler was lifted after allowing one run in three innings Wednesday against the Brewers.

As he did all year, Buehler kept the Padres in the game, which he exited with the score tied 1-1. He ended the regular season with a 4.63 ERA, but he was 9-6 anyway and the Padres were a particularly impressive 22-10 in his starts. One imagines they’ll have some interest in bringing him back in free agency this winter.
- Matthew Pouliot

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Manny Machado

SD 3rd Baseman #13
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Manny Machado went 1-for-4 and just missed a game-tying two-run homer Wednesday in the eighth inning of Game 4 against the Brewers.

Garrett Mitchell prevented the homer. Machado didn’t have a great regular season, but he was the standout performer for the Padres this October, going 7-for-20 with a homer, two doubles and five walks. That was good for a 1.080 OPS, well ahead of Xander Bogaerts at .824 for the best mark on the team.
- Matthew Pouliot

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Hagen Smith

CWS Starting Pitcher #82
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Hagen Smith will open Game 4 of the ALDS against the Guardians on Thursday.

Smith draws the opening assignment after throwing 21 pitches in relief during Wednesday’s Game 3 loss to the Guardians. He walked a pair of batters and gave up on hit during the abbreviated outing. The 23-year-old southpaw has been a revelation this season and has allowed just one run over 6 1/3 innings this postseason. Ideally, the White Sox would like to jump out to an early lead before turning the ball over the Grant Taylor with a chance to wrap up the series and advance to face the Rays in the ALCS this weekend.
- George Bissell

Source: Jesse Rogers

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Victor Mesa Jr.

TB Right Fielder #25
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Victor Mesa Jr. blasted a go-ahead two-run homer to propel the Rays to a series-clinching 4-3 victory over the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS on Wednesday.

Mesa connected on a hanging slider from Yankees ace Max Fried, sending a majestic 401-foot moonshot into the front row of the right-field seats to put Tampa Bay ahead with two outs in the sixth inning. It was his lone hit in four at-bats, but it made the difference in a low-scoring showdown in New York as the Rays completed a sweep of their division rivals to punch their ticket to the ALCS for the first time since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. They’ll face either the White Sox or Guardians later this week at Tropicana Field.
- George Bissell

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Anthony Volpe

NYY Shortstop #11
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Anthony Volpe went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the Yankees’ season-ending loss to the Rays in Game 3 of the ALDS on Wednesday.

Baseball is a game of inches. Literally. Nobody is more aware of that age-old truism than Volpe as the Yankees were unable to stave off elimination and keep their season alive. It looked momentarily like the much-harangued former top prospect was going to have his signature moment at Yankee Stadium before a replay review overturned a potential game-tying home run to left field due to some fairly obvious fan interference in the sixth inning. He struck out on seven pitches against Rays closer Bryan Baker leading off the ninth as the Yankees were swept out of the postseason by their division rivals.
- George Bissell

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Bryan Baker

TB Relief Pitcher #47
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Bryan Baker fired a scoreless ninth inning to pick up the save in a series-clinching win over the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS on Wednesday.

Baker got the call in a save situation for the third consecutive game and managed to once again slam the door. He struck out Anthony Volpe on seven pitches before issuing a four-pitch walk to Spencer Jones. He didn’t look particularly sharp early on, but Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder was able to somehow get him back on track with a timely mound visit. Baker responded by getting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to ground into a force out before striking out Trent Grisham to end the series.
- George Bissell

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