May 12, 2025
Atlanta Braves left-hander
Chris Sale (1-3) was cruising through the Pittsburgh Pirates' offense until he gave up three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. He then proceeded to go out for the sixth inning and was pulled after getting two outs and left the game down 3-0. The Braves stormed back in the top of the eighth inning with three runs to get Sale off the hook for his fourth loss of the season. The Braves would eventually fall 4-3. Sale struck out eight batters, allowed two walks, eight hits, and two earned runs in his five 5 2/3 innings of work. Sale has lowered his season ERA to 3.97 after a tough start to the 2025 campaign. Sale has been racking up the strikeouts at an elite clip (12.08 K/9), and remains a must-start in all formats. Next is a trip to Fenway to take on the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
--Nicho Roessler - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 7, 2025
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Chris Sale strung together his third consecutive solid start in Tuesday's 2-1 extra-inning win over the Reds. Sale pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings, allowing five hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts. Unfortunately, the Braves weren't able to get on the board until the ninth inning, sticking him with a no-decision. The 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner had a slow start to the season but has picked things up lately, including back-to-back 10-strikeout performances. He is now 1-3 with a 4.07 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and a 12.00 K/9 rate in eight starts and 42 IP. He should have a good chance to keep things rolling in his next start, which will be a great matchup at the Pirates.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
May 1, 2025
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Chris Sale was stuck with a tough-luck loss on Wednesday in a 2-1 loss to the Rockies. He allowed two runs on five hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts over seven innings. This was the reigning Cy Young champ's best start of the season, as it was his first double-digit strikeout performance and his first outing of more than five innings. He had a rough April overall with his ERA currently sitting at 4.84, but he still has maintained an elite 29% strikeout rate and remains an ace both in real life and in fantasy.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
April 14, 2025
Atlanta Braves left-hander
Chris Sale has lasted five or fewer innings and allowed three or more earned runs in each of his four starts this year, including 4 2/3 and 4 1/3 innings in his past two. Last year, he had only two starts of less than five innings. Sale has surrendered 15 hits and nine runs (eight earned) in nine innings in his last two starts. "I just hate sucking, and I'm just bad. Simple," Sale said. His average fastball velocity was 96.2 mph in his start on Sunday against the Rays -- up 3 mph from his previous season average. The reigning National League Cy Young has allowed at least three runs in each of his four starts in 2025 after giving up more than two earned runs in only three of 29 starts a year ago. The fact that Sale is healthy has made the poor start more frustrating, but it should also ease the minds of fantasy managers that he'll turn it around sooner than later.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - David O'Brien
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