ATLANTA (AP) — Chris Sale already had thrown 97 pitches through eight innings, a full game for most pitchers in most games.
Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss had relievers ready in the bullpen for the ninth.
Even so, both knew Sale was not coming out Thursday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After learning before the game about the death of a friend, Sale had extra motivation to finish the shutout in Atlanta's 1-0 win for a series sweep.
“He was
on a mission,” Weiss said. “You could see it. He was attacking from the first pitch. And not that he doesn’t do that, but you can see he had a different look in his eye. And the look in the eye is always pretty good. But it was even a little bit different tonight.”
That different look meant Weiss already was planning to have Sale return to the mound for the ninth. Then, he said, Sale walked into the dugout after the eighth and announced, `This is mine.'"
Weiss wasn't about to argue.
Sale said he received a text message before the game saying his friend, Ashley Foss, a financial advisor who worked with Sale's agent, B.B. Abbott, had died. Sale provided no details.
“If you ever needed more incentive, that's all you're going to need right there,” Sale said.
The 37-year-old lefty was dominant in throwing only 60 pitches through five innings and 81 through seven. He allowed just five hits with no walks, throwing 80 of his 109 pitches for strikes.
Sale fanned 11 for his fourth double-digit strikeout game this season and the 95th of his career. The 10-time All-Star ranks seventh all-time. Sandy Koufax is sixth with 97.
Weiss said it was a Hall of Fame-caliber performance by Sale.
“I always talk about how the Hall of Famers are just different, and that’s a perfect example right there,” Weiss said. “Chris knew that we were really thin tonight in the bullpen, so he puts a team on his back and throws a complete-game shutout against the world champions.”
Weiss stuck with Sale even after Freddie Freeman singled to open the Dodgers ninth.
Teoscar Hernández popped out, pinch-runner Alek Thomas was out at second on Miguel Rojas’ fielder’s-choice grounder and Sale struck out Alex Call for his 17th complete game and first since 2019 with Boston at Kansas City.
It was Sale’s fourth career shutout and first since that three-hitter against the Royals on June 5, 2019. Sale threw a 100.1 mph fastball to Shohei Ohtani in the third, reaching triple digits on a pitch for the first time since July 2018 with the Red Sox.
Sale (13-9) lowered his ERA to 2.06 with the overpowering outing in a matchup of National League division leaders. He trails only Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski (1.73) among qualified major league pitchers.
“I’m just thankful to get through it, man,” Sale said. “Like I said, I pride myself on working hard and I pride myself on going out there and giving my team a chance to win.”
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