Chris Sale accomplished an impressive feat on Sunday.
The Atlanta Braves defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 on Sunday afternoon. The victory represented a series-clinching win for Atlanta. Additionally, Atlanta is now 20-9 overall. Braves ace Chris Sale started the game and he performed well, striking out nine across six scoreless innings while allowing only one hit.
Sale also moved into 28th place on the Braves' all-time strikeout list, which is especially impressive given the fact that he has only pitched in Atlanta since the 2024 campaign.
After the contest, Sale commented on what it means to him to accomplish the feat, via Lexi Bowden.
"I definitely appreciate it," Sale said. "This game has been around a long time, there's a lot of really big names on that list... I still look at myself as some 12-year-old kid from Lakeland playing baseball."
He is appreciative of accomplishing the feat. Sale is a star to say the least.
Chris Sale Continues to Pitch Well
Sale, 37, seemed like he may be nearing the end of his big league career during his final years with the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox ended up trading Sale to the Braves and he completely turned his career around. He was one of the best pitchers in the game during the prime of his career and Sale has once again pitched like one of the game's best pitchers in recent seasons.
Sale won the Cy Young in 2024 after pitching to a 2.38 ERA. In 2025, he was limited to 21 outings but he still pitched well while on the mound. So far in 2026, Sale has recorded a 2.31 ERA and looks like he could make another Cy Young run.
There are not many pitchers who are able to get back on track and pitch at an elite level after it seemed as if they were declining. Sale was unquestionably a star during the 2010's decade with the Chicago White Sox, and he pitched well during the early years of his Red Sox career.
Injuries impacted Sale from 2020-2022, though. In 2023, he was able to make 20 starts but he struggled while on the mound. The Red Sox ended up trading him to the Braves in 2024 which led to the southpaw having a Cy Young season.
Sale will only continue to move up the Braves' all-time leaderboard lists. He is not displaying any signs of slowing down at the moment.
Chris Sale and the Braves will look to continue to play at a high level as the 2026 MLB season moves forward.