For the first time this spring, Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale ran into some turbulence. It wasn’t a disaster by any means, but this one had a few more bumps in the road compared to his previous outings.
In 3 1/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, Sale surrendered four earned runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out two. It’s not exactly the dominant performance we’ve expected, but even the best have off days.
Tampa Bay Makes Sale Work
Let’s get into the details. The silver lining was opposing hitters had to earn their way on base—five hits to just two walks is a respectable ratio. Sale also threw over 60% of his pitches for strikes, which is a good sign. But the downside? He didn’t get a lot of quick outs. His first inning was crisp—just 10 pitches—but after that, Tampa Bay made him work.
Look at the second inning, for example. The first two Rays hitters combined to see 12 pitches before both reached base. By the time Sale recorded his first out of the frame, he had already thrown 16 pitches. And then, in the third inning, things got even tougher.
By the time Brandon Lowe launched a two-run homer, Sale had already hit the 23-pitch mark in the inning. Tampa Bay’s approach was clear—make him work, wear him down, and capitalize. And that’s exactly what they did.
No Cause for Concern
Before anyone starts sounding the alarm, let’s take a deep breath. It’s spring training. A rough outing here and there is part of the process. The important thing?
Sale is healthy, and he’ll have a chance to dissect what went wrong, make adjustments, and move forward. He’s sitting on a 3.86 ERA through three starts with a 0.86 WHIP and six strikeouts over 9 1/3 innings. That’s nothing to scoff at.
What’s Next for the Braves?
The Braves, meanwhile, will be right back at it today when they host the Detroit Tigers. The first pitch is at 1:05 p.m., with Grant Holmes slated to take the mound.
Sale’s next outing will be one to watch—he’ll be looking to bounce back, and knowing him, he’ll have a few tricks up his sleeve.
