Chris Sale Does Something Not Done in Last 21 Years of Atlanta Braves History

Finally healthy, Chris Sale is putting up historic numbers for the Atlanta Braves. He's accomplished things we haven't seen in the last 21 years of team history.

May 26, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (51) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

When Chris Sale helped the Atlanta Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon, he accomplished something not done in the last 21 years of franchise history.

Per @MLBStats on social media:

Chris Sale is 7-0 with a 1.17 ERA over his last seven starts.

He's the first @Braves pitcher to win seven consecutive starts since Russ Ortiz in 2003.

Chris Sale is 7-0 with a 1.17 ERA over his last seven starts.

He's the first @Braves pitcher to win seven consecutive starts since Russ Ortiz in 2003. https://t.co/qMw8KDTFwL

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) May 26, 2024

When healthy, Sale has been capable of putting up numbers like this all throughout his career. However, the problem is that he hasn't been healthy lately. Sale missed time with arm issues at the end of 2019 and then missed all of 2020 with Tommy John surgery. He missed most of 2021 while rehabbing that injury. He made only two starts in 2022 because of a series of freak injuries and then made 20 starts in 2023.

All of that occurred with the Boston Red Sox, who elected to trade Sale this past offseason rather than wait to see if he could get healthy and perform like this.

Sale is 8-1 with a 2.12 ERA for Atlanta, striking out 78 batters in 63.2 innings.

Sale is in the 14th year of his pro career (15 if you include the missed 2020 season), with the Chicago White Sox, Red Sox and Braves. He helped the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series and is 128-81 lifetime with a 3.07 ERA. He's a seven-time All-Star who has received Cy Young votes in seven different seasons.

The Braves are 30-21 and will play the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night at 7:20 p.m. ET.

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