Sale closes out Braves' 6-2 wild-card clincher over Phillies — SkimNews
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- Chris Sale recorded the final four outs on one day of rest after throwing 95 pitches in Game 1, retiring Bryson Stott, Bryan De La Cruz and pinch-hitter Otto Kemp around an Alec Bohm single to seal the 6-2 win.
- Michael Harris II's three-run homer in the first inning off Aaron Nola kicked off an Atlanta offense that scored all six runs via home runs, with Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson also going deep against Nola, Zack Wheeler and Jonathan Bowlan.
- Ray Kerr, a 32-year-old lefty making just his fourth career big league start, delivered 3⅓ scoreless innings with two strikeouts and only two baserunners allowed — a performance Sale called essential: "We don't win this game without him."
- Manager Walt Weiss said he had no plans to use Sale in Game 3 until the ace walked into his office unprompted Thursday afternoon and said, "I feel amazing," prompting the two to map out a relief plan together.
- Sale nearly collided with third baseman Austin Riley — "45 pounds heavier" — when he sprinted off the mound to call off Bryce Harper's eighth-inning popup, chuckling that "if me and him go toe-to-toe, I might lose that battle."
- Weiss said he hadn't yet decided whether Sale would start Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers: "we weren't even worried about that. It's just put this thing down and then we'll have those conversations later."
Why it matters: The win sends the Braves to the NLDS against the Dodgers starting Saturday, but with Sale throwing 116 pitches across Tuesday and Thursday on short rest, Weiss acknowledged he hasn't determined whether his ace can start Game 2 on Sunday — leaving Atlanta's rotation plans unsettled for their most important series of the postseason.
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