Chris Sale is pitching like an ace, but the Atlanta Braves are leaving him out to dry—and it’s becoming a troubling pattern.
On Wednesday night, the reigning NL Cy Young winner was once again in top form: six innings, one run, three hits, 10 strikeouts. It should’ve been enough. It would’ve been enough for most teams. But for the Braves right now? It’s just another tough-luck 2–1 loss, their second by that exact scoreline in Sale’s last three outings.
The Offense Is Failing Its Ace
This wasn’t a one-off. Since the start of May, Atlanta has lost three games in which Sale allowed two earned runs or fewer. That’s a sentence you never want to write about your best pitcher. Even more frustrating, Sale’s last win came with the Braves offense backing him with nine runs—proving they can do it, just not consistently.
Wednesday’s dud saw the Braves leave five runners on base in the final two innings. The lineup waited until the eighth inning to even score a run. It’s become a recurring theme during this homestand, where Atlanta is averaging just 2.2 runs per game.
Sale’s Leadership Stands Out
Even as the box scores pile up against him, Sale isn’t pointing fingers. In fact, his postgame comments offered a glimpse into why he’s so respected in the clubhouse.
“You look at a box score, and you either win the game or lose the game. No one really cares about the process. On my end, I respect the process because I see it going on behind the scenes.”
Sale made it clear: his frustration isn’t with the effort—it’s with the outcomes. He’s seen the cage work, the early arrivals, the prep. He’s lived that grind, and he’s not going to throw his teammates under the bus because of what the scoreboard says.
“It’s not like these guys get here at five o’clock and flip on their phones until seven and then go out there and expect to get it done… Unfortunately, no one sees the process.”
But in the end, results matter. And right now, the results show a Braves offense that’s 23rd in runs scored, 19th in batting average, and 17th in OPS. They’ve also stranded the sixth-most runners in baseball—a brutal stat for a team built to compete for championships.
Bigger Picture For the Braves
Sale’s calm demeanor might be buying the lineup some goodwill—for now. But make no mistake, Atlanta is wasting elite starts from one of the league’s best pitchers. And with the team now 27–33, time is running out for the offense to wake up.
If the Braves want to dig out of this hole, it starts with run support. Because Chris Sale is holding up his end of the deal, night after night, it’s time the bats started doing the same.
