Chris Sale to start Sunday series finale versus San Francisco

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 22: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves looks on from the dugout before the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on June 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images Even with the recent swamp-like weather conditio

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What is the story about?

Even with the recent swamp-like weather conditions going on in metro Atlanta, the Braves will be more than ready to hop on the Delta flight back home after a nightmarish week in California. Kudos to all of you who stayed up late for some terrible baseball.

There is one last game to play in the Bay before wheels up, though. (And one way or another, I will cover a Giants series finale!)

The Braves will turn to their ace to win the rubber match after Rafael Devers owned Bryce Elder last night. Chris Sale

(8-5, 2.14 ERA) keeps defying time and hurling quality innings while keeping the offense within striking distance of each of his last three games. But the lack of run support from this struggling offense continues to plague Sale starts. The lefty has enjoyed a couple days of extra rest as the Braves shuffled their rotation, with Reynaldo López and Elder making the starts for Games 1 and 2 respectively.

Sale will be opposed by Robbie Ray (6-6, 3.70 ERA), who absolutely befuddled the Braves when they saw him last week in the resumption of the rain-suspended series opener. When the game picked back up in the bottom of the second inning, Ray entered and spun 6.1 innings of two-run ball. Outside of a Riley double and Olson single, he walked two and struck out eight. He built off that great performance in his last start against the Athletics with another two-hit performance. He went eight strong innings, with one unearned run, four walks, and six strikeouts on his final line.

The Giants did not see Sale when they were in town last week and only six current players have faced him before. Only one has an average >= .200: Matt Chapman. Willy Adames is 1-for-14 against Sale (but that one is a homer), Luis Arraez is 2-for-13, and the aforementioned Chapman is 3-for-15 with the only other homer.

To take the rubber match, the Braves will need to disrupt Ray’s recent success and momentum. Ozzie leads the team in at-bats against him with twelve and is one of two Braves who have homered off him in his career – Michael Harris II is the other.

I think the Braves players and fans alike will be very grateful to see this road trip (and month of June, honestly) in the rearview mirror. Let’s end things on a high note.