Braves' Chris Sale boosts HOF case with milestone in Phillies game
The post Braves' Chris Sale boosts HOF case with milestone in Phillies game appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale has spent the last two seasons as his team's ace. The Braves were without Spencer Strider last season and Sale filled in perfectly. He dominated on his way to the first Cy Young Award of his career. Sale clashed with Zack Wheeler in Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, adding another achievement to his resume.
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In the bottom of the sixth inning, Sale struck out J.T. Realmuto and Edmundo Sosa back-to-back. Those two gave him eight strikeouts for the game. More importantly, they were the last two he needed to get to 2,500 career K's, according to the team's social media page.
Sale got through all six innings unscathed, handing an 6-0 lead to the Braves' bullpen. Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley fueled the offense, giving Sale all the run support he needed to put himself in line for another win.
The 36-year-old lefty is the 38th pitcher in the modern era to strike out 2,500 batters, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. For a pitcher whose Hall of Fame case was questionable a few years ago, Sale has silenced his doubters emphatically.
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More than two months into the season, Sale is not pitching as well as he did last year. Despite that, his numbers are still good and he is still one of the league's most feared pitchers.
Sale's matchup on Thursday night was not supposed to be Wheeler. However, the Phillies ace asked Rob Thomson if he could switch into the later game before the doubleheader kicked off. Regardless of if Wheeler asked for the change so he could face Sale or not, the 2024 Cy Young winner out-dueled Wheeler.
Brian Snitker and the Braves hope that Sale's performance is a sign. Atlanta just welcomed Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider back from injury. If Sale is back in peak form, the Braves are as dangerous as any team in the league, even though they are still under .500.
If nothing else, Sale's milestone is another check off the list of career accomplishments. The Conductor's Hall of Fame case gets stronger and stronger with every start he strings together.
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