Chris Sale Posts Historically Dominant May Amid Atlanta Braves' Struggles

Atlanta Braves veteran Chris Sale has turned out to be quite the offseason acquisition, as the 35-year-old lefty just posted MLB's lowest ERA in May since 1991.

May 20, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (51) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Truist Park. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves may have had a shaky month, but the same cannot be said for Chris Sale.

The 35-year-old left-hander has been borderline untouchable in May, going a perfect 5-0 in his five starts. Three of his outings have been scoreless, and he only allowed one run in each of his other two appearances.

While Atlanta is undefeated when Sale takes the mound, they are just 7-14 in May when someone else draws the start. Overall, the Braves are 5-10 since May 15, dropping three of their last four series.

Sale, as a result, has been one of the club's few bright spots over the past two weeks. He has done more than simply hand Atlanta's rotation some much-needed stability, though, producing at a historically dominant level.

According to Underdog Fantasy's Jayhay, Sale's 0.56 ERA is the lowest by any pitcher in the month of May – minimum 25 innings pitched – since Tommy Greene's 0.29 mark with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1991.

Chris Sale’s 0.56 ERA is the lowest by any pitcher in the month of May (min. 25 IP) since Tommy Greene in 1991 (0.29).

— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) May 31, 2024

Sale's May numbers are final, as he is not projected to pitch in Friday's series-opener against the Oakland Athletics. He is slated to take the mound Saturday, hoping to carry his momentum into June.

The Braves traded infielder Vaughn Grissom to acquire Sale from the Boston Red Sox in December.

On the whole this season, Sale is 8-1 with a 2.12 ERA, 0.848 WHIP, 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.4 WAR.

It's been quite the bounce back year for Sale, who dealt with plenty of injuries and inconsistencies with the Red Sox after signing a $145 million extension in 2019. Sale pitched just 298.1 innings between 2019 and 2023, posting a 17-18 record and a 4.16 ERA in that span.

Sale was previously on a fast track for Cooperstown, making seven consecutive All-Star appearances from 2012 to 2018. While he never won a Cy Young in that time, he did finish top-six in all seven seasons leading up to his 30th birthday.

By the time he won the 2018 World Series with the Red Sox, Sale was 103-62 with a 2.89 ERA. He served as an ace for both the Red Sox and Chicago White Sox, establishing himself as one of the top southpaws of the 21st century in the process.

Sale could reclaim that reputation if he keeps up his current production with the Braves, on top of earning even more hardware.

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