Braves Today

Chris Sale Makes Braves History Against Rockies on Warpath to NL Cy Young

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale is putting his team on his back down the stretch as they make a push for the playoffs.

CJ Errickson

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale throws against the Colorado Rockies and strengthened is Cy Young case on Tuesday night.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale throws against the Colorado Rockies and strengthened is Cy Young case on Tuesday night. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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The Atlanta Braves made the transaction of a lifetime last offseason when they traded for former Boston Red Sox LHP Chris Sale. A veteran plagued by injuries since 2019 came to Atlanta at a relatively low-cost last December, thanks to general manager Alex Anthopoulos.ย 

Sale continued his dominant work when the Braves needed him most on Tuesday night. He pitched another gem, going seven innings, giving up no runs, six hits, no walks, and nine strikeouts.

Atlanta remained a half-game up on the Mets who just keep winning.

Anthopoulos is a proven general manager, especially after the teamโ€™s 2021 World Series run. The addition of Sale is the latest Anthopoulos masterclass, proving that Atlanta has had a 100 percent return on investmentโ€”and then some. On Tuesday night, he achieved a milestone no Braves lefty has accomplished in team history.ย 

This is a mind-blowing stat considering all the southpaws in Braves history; here are a few names who did not achieve 200 strikeouts in a single season:

  • Tom Glavine
  • Warren Spahn
  • Steve Avery
  • Denny Neagle
  • Charlie Leibrandt

The first two names on the above list are in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, and the 6-6 180-pound Florida native is not only making a run for the โ€™24 NL Cy Young but also adding to his potential resume for Cooperstown. Not only did he break that record, but he is now the leader for Kโ€™s out of all Big-League pitchers.ย 

Additionally, out of all left-handed pitchers in MLB history, he is now tied with the famous former Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton with eight 200+ strikeout seasons. Only the legendary Arizona Diamondback Randy Johnson is ahead of Carlton and Sale with 13 seasons of that nature.ย 

Regarding all Atlanta pitchers, he joins the list as the ninth Brave to accomplish a 200+ strikeout season.ย 

While the Braves ace may not have five more seasons of 200 or more strikeouts, this season, he has the chance to have the best season of his career.ย 

As of now, this would be the third-lowest ERA (2.46) he has had out of his 14 seasons. Moreover, he is less than two dozen strikeouts away from having his third-highest strikeout tally in his career. In 2018, he posted 237 strikeouts, and with a few more regular season starts, he is destined to break that.ย 

Considering his outstanding start with seven innings pitched, no earned runs or walks, and nine strikeouts on Tuesday night, he is poised to achieve more milestones before the seasonโ€™s end.

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CJ Errickson

CJ ERRICKSON