PHILADELPHIA — It’s superb how shortly the temper of a clubhouse can change after Chris Sale pitches just like the reigning NL Cy Younger Award winner and the maddening Braves offense makes Zack Wheeler look mortal.
This wasn’t a memorable journey, because the Braves misplaced a beginning pitcher and a 3rd straight collection. However with Sale tossing six scoreless innings and Ozzie Albies homering throughout a four-run fourth in opposition to Wheeler, Atlanta headed house energized by the 9-3 win claimed over the Phillies within the second recreation of Thursday’s doubleheader at Residents Financial institution Park.
Sale turned the tide as he restricted the Phillies to 2 hits over six scoreless innings. The final of his eight strikeouts was the two,five hundredth of his profession. He’s the thirty eighth pitcher in fashionable historical past to hit this milestone and simply the fortieth to ever achieve this. Per the Elias Sports activities Bureau, he’s the primary pitcher to ever attain this mark in 2,026 innings or much less.
That’s lots to abdomen whereas making ready to face Wheeler, a suburban Atlanta native who posted a 2.56 ERA over the 11 begins he made in opposition to his hometown crew. The 34-year-old hurler completed second to Sale in final yr’s NL Cy Younger Award balloting and entered the sport with a 2.42 ERA this yr. However the Braves had accounted for 5 of the 19 earned runs he’d allowed over 70 2/3 innings.
So, possibly there was a little bit of confidence. Or possibly, it was simply time the Braves lastly gave Sale some run help. The lefty went 1-1 with a 1.62 ERA over 5 begins from April 30-Might 23. The Braves scored a grand whole of 4 runs whereas he was nonetheless within the recreation throughout these 5 begins.
Evidently, the four-run fourth was a lot appreciated. Matt Olson and Austin Riley tallied consecutive doubles forward of the two-run homer Albies dropped simply over the right-field wall. The Braves ended up tallying six runs over 5 1/3 innings in opposition to Wheeler. Atlanta has been the opponent every of the 3 times the Phillies’ ace has allowed 5 earned runs in a begin for the reason that begin of 2023.
Albies’ sixth homer of the yr gave him a 14-game hitting streak. Riley’s two-run shot within the seventh was his first homer since Might 4. His two extra-base hits within the nightcap had been one fewer than the overall he had in his earlier 21 video games mixed.
The beginning of the journey was ugly. However the finish gave the Braves some life, one thing they had been struggling to search out Thursday afternoon.
