Chris Sale Sends Veteran Message Ahead of Atlanta Braves Postseason Run

The Atlanta Braves are heading into the postseason with their ace ready to go. Chris Sale will start Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday at Truist Park. 

The choice was easy. Sale is clearly the best arm on Atlanta's staff and has been since he arrived from the Boston Red Sox. The bigger concern is what comes after him.  

Martin Perez is out with lower back inflammation, Bryce Elder is sidelined after knee surgery and Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez and Hurston Waldrep have all been lost to injuries at various points this season.  

Tyler Mahle is expected to start Game 2, and Grant Holmes would likely get the ball in a potential Game 3. Neither has ever pitched in a postseason game, which makes Sale's performance on Tuesday incredibly important. 

The 37-year-old left-hander spoke with reporters on Monday ahead of Game 1 and spoke about the emotions of pitching in the postseason. He had a classic veteran response.  

"The stakes are higher but it's the same game, it's the same field I've pitched at for three years now. You understand what's at stake and you just put the blinders on and you run the race,” Sale said. 

Sale went 14-9 this year with a 2.16 ERA which was third-best in the majors. He also had a 0.984 WHIP with 200 strikeouts in 162 2/3 innings. He was equally dominant against the Phillies specifically, going 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA across four regular-season starts against Philadelphia. 

Tuesday will be Sale's first postseason start in a Braves uniform. He missed the 2024 playoffs with Atlanta due to back spasms, and the Braves did not qualify in 2025. This is the moment he has been waiting for since arriving in Atlanta. 

Sale signed a one-year extension worth $27 million for the 2027 season in February, with a $30 million club option for 2028. He is committed to this organization and this group, and Tuesday is a chance to show exactly why Atlanta invested in keeping him around. 

The Braves finished 94-68 to win the NL East, going 9-4 against the Phillies in the regular season. Philadelphia eliminated Atlanta in the NLDS in both 2022 and 2023, so the history is not on the Braves' side in this matchup. Still, they have to feel confident with Sale on the mound for Game 1.