Sale Holds Himself at Fault as Braves Drop Series to Rays

The reigning Cy Young Award winner wasn't having any excuses after another tough loss

There's no excuses coming from the Braves starter / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Chris Sale faced another tough outing on Sunday in the Atlanta Braves 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays to drop another road series. 

He pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits and three walks while striking out seven. He was straight and to the point, saying his performance was “just bad.” 

Frustrated was not a good enough word to describe the feeling. There were no positives to take away, not even when it came to consistency in his velocity. 

“I mean, this game is definitely about results, but if I’m gonna suck, I might as well go out there and let a rip,” Sale said. 

Sale said it's likely he hasn’t felt this agitated at any point in his career. Before, health was a major culprit behind his poor performance. Now, he can’t say. 

“It wasn’t too long ago I was doing pretty good,” he said. “I felt like I had a good Spring Training, and then the lights flick on. It’s go time, and I’m just left behind.”

During it all, he’s holding himself accountable. While others made mistakes in the game - a no throw on a run scored by outfielder Jarred Kelenic was mentioned - he refused to point fingers. He felt like the he was the ultimate difference in the outcome.

“If you take one person off that field, I think we have a much better chance of winning that game, and I think we all know who that is.”  

Through four starts, Sale is 0-2 with a 6.63 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP and a 60 ERA+. His home run rate has more than doubled to 3% from 1.3% in 2024, and his opponent’s average is .313. 

Braves manager Brian Snitker said Sale is the epitome of the team as a whole: Trying to figure it out.

“He’s kinda like our team. He’s fighting to get everything going in the right direction.” 

Snitker said Sale is too competitive for this rut to continue for much longer, and his teammates feel the same way. They’re keeping the faith that the reigning National Cy Young Award winner is going to figure it out.  

“What I got with is he’s gonna be just fine,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said. “You can check the back of the baseball card on that one; the competitor, the pitcher that he is. I’m sure it’s not up to his standard, but there’s not a person here worried about that guy.” 

While it’s not going to make him feel better, Sale isn’t alone in the team’s rotation struggles. Outside of Spencer Schwellenbach, with his 0.45 ERA, every other starter has an ERA over 4.50. 

It’s a battle for consistency that rages on. 

The Braves continue their American League East road trip with a three-game series north of the border against the Toronto Blue Jays. That series will start on Monday with a 7:07 p.m. EDT first pitch. 

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