The Ace Demands the Ball
Chris Sale did not wait for a plan. He walked into Walt Weiss’s office and demanded to pitch. This is the kind of guts that wins championships. Weiss admitted he would never have asked Sale to start Game 1 because he knew the pitcher would say yes even if he was tired. “First of all, I was not going to go to Chris Sale and ask him if he could pitch tonight,” Weiss said after the Braves clinched their Wild Card series. The manager knew the risk but respected the fire. Sale sat down and told Weiss, “I feel amazing.” That simple line changed everything for Atlanta.
This move is not just about one game. It is about the mindset of a team that refuses to fold. Sale started Game 1 of the Wild Card series and finished the final four outs of Game 3. He is the first pitcher since himself in 2018 to do this. Weiss called him a warrior and said, “This guy — I’ve run out of superlatives for Chris Sale.” The Dodgers have a stacked rotation, but Sale brings a level of intensity that money cannot buy. The Braves need this energy to survive the series.
The Rotation Puzzle
Atlanta’s pitching depth is thin right now. Injuries have hurt the rotation badly. Tyler Mahle cannot pitch until Game 3 at the earliest. MartÃn Pérez has low back inflammation and has been ruled out for the entire NLDS. That leaves Grant Holmes and J.R. Ritchie as options. Holmes threw only two innings in the Wild Card win. A lefty reliever might even start as an opener. The Dodgers will start Tarik Skubai in Game 1. He is one of their aces and he has delivered several dominant postseasons performances.
Yamamoto tossed complete games in the NLCS and World Series last year. He closed out a winner-take-all Game 7 with zero days of rest. The stats show he is dangerous. He holds a .182 opponents’ batting average which ranked third among qualified MLB pitchers. The Braves beat the Dodgers five times in the regular season, but the playoffs are different. L.A. is the defending back-to-back champion and they are rested. Atlanta had to play hard just to beat Philadelphia. The physical toll is real, but the mental edge belongs to Sale.
One Game To Win It All
The Braves must rely on their offense to keep this close. Michael Harris II hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the Wild Card clincher. Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson also hit home runs. Earlier this year, Yamamoto faced a leadoff home run from Drake Baldwin. That game ended 1-0 with the only run coming from Baldwin. If the Braves can score early, they can force Yamamoto into trouble. The Dodgers’ three-peat bid starts this Saturday. The game time is 4 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium.
Per MLB.com Braves, the broadcast will be on Fox, Fox Deportes, and FOX ONE. Triple-digit heat is forecast for Los Angeles, which could wear down pitchers late. The Braves have not made it past the Division Series since 2021. This series feels like a chance to break that cycle. Sale’s boldness proves the team is ready to fight. The Dodgers have the stars, but the Braves have the heart. If Sale can get through the first few innings, the Braves have a real shot to steal this series. The clock starts Saturday afternoon.
