ATLANTA - Chris Sale has waited a long time for this October stage in Atlanta, and now the Braves are handing him the ball for Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series on Tuesday afternoon.
Walt Weiss said he feels the same kind of confidence now that he did years ago when he was behind John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux in postseason games.
“There’s a different feeling when a guy like that is taking the mound,” Weiss said. “We felt it those years with the Big Three, and I felt it at other times in my career.
I felt it in Oakland with Dave Stewart. I think it elevates the room the day that guy is pitching.”
Weiss knows the routine well. He played three straight postseasons as Atlanta’s shortstop from 1998-2000 and has been around the club’s playoff runs seven of the past eight years as bench coach. For Sale, though, this is the first time he’ll finally get to take that mound in a Braves postseason game.
The 37-year-old left-hander missed the postseason during his 2024 NL Cy Young Award season because of back trouble, but this year’s run gives him another shot at October after a strong third season with Atlanta. His first pitch in this Wild Card Series against the Phillies comes Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock.
“I love pitching here in Atlanta,” Sale said. “I love pitching in front of these fans, and being able to do it in the postseason makes it that much more special.”
Sale’s biggest October moment came with Boston in the 2018 World Series, when he closed out Game 5 by striking out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. His last playoff work came in 2021, and it was a rough return: just two months after Tommy John surgery, he made three frustrating starts for the Red Sox.
A lot has changed since then. Injuries held Sale to 151 innings from 2020-23, and Boston moved on before the 2024 season, sending him to Atlanta.
He responded with a breakout year and has stayed sharp since. His 2.16 ERA this season ranked third in MLB and also stands as the fifth-best mark by any Braves pitcher with at least 25 starts in a season since 1920.
That kind of production is why the Braves believe this October could look different for him. Sale’s postseason numbers haven’t matched his regular-season dominance.
He has a 7.24 ERA in seven previous playoff starts, including a 6.87 ERA in four starts in 2017 and ‘18. In those outings, he gave up seven earned runs in one game and didn’t get through five innings in two others.
“I think you learn that it's just about harnessing the energy,” Sale said. “I learned this from David Tollett, my college coach [at Florida Gulf Coast University] -- you can't be better than you are. You can't play above what you possess, and sometimes you go out there and try to do too much, and actually do less.”
The late-season schedule should have him ready for what’s ahead. Over his final seven starts, Sale logged a 2.36 ERA and faced four playoff teams - the Yankees, Brewers, Dodgers and the Phillies twice - plus the D-backs, who came close to reaching the postseason.
He also matched up in that stretch against Gerrit Cole, Jacob Misiorowski, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Cristopher Sánchez and Aaron Nola.
“He’s been nothing short of amazing for us,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said. “I wouldn’t want anybody else taking the mound for us tomorrow.”
Sale has also handled the Phillies well this season. He posted a 2.08 ERA in four starts against them, and Atlanta won all four games.
If that kind of form carries over Tuesday, he may not be done for the postseason just yet.
“He presents a whole set of problems, but we've seen him a [few times],” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “We haven't been great with him, but we'll see. Tomorrow is a new day.”
In Other News...
Braves Catch A Break As Phillies Lose One Of Their Few Reliable Bats
The Braves at least know one thing about the Phillies heading into the Wild Card Series: Philadelphia will be without one of its more dependable bats. Luis Arraez is off the roster because of an ankle injury, a notable hit for a lineup that has needed every steady presence it could find, especially after his addition at the trade deadline gave the club a needed boost.
Don Mattingly also confirmed Jesus Luzardo will get the Game 1 start, though with a pitch count that is expected to be limited. Otto Kemp now steps in for Arraez, and for Atlanta the bigger takeaway is that a Phillies offense already searching for consistency has lost one of the few hitters it could count on, even before the first pitch of the series is thrown. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Still Face Two Crucial Roster Calls Before Phillies Series
The Braves are in the familiar spot of sorting through a postseason roster just before a high-stakes series with the Phillies, and the outline is taking shape even if a few decisions are still being treated as educated guesses. Behind the obvious core pieces like Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy behind the plate, Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies in the infield, and Michael Harris II and Ronald Acua Jr. out in the grass, the staff is working through the kind of short-list construction that always matters in October.
What makes this one worth watching is how much depends on the final balance between position players and pitchers once the roster is set. The projection already points to a group built around current health, injuries and suspensions, but the Braves still have to settle a couple of important calls before the series begins, and those choices could shape how they match up with Philadelphia from the first inning on. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Wild Card Decision Just Changed A Potential Braves Threat
The Phillies late-season push got a small but meaningful twist at the roster deadline, and it matters for the Braves because Philadelphias new infield piece will not be available for the NL Wild Card round. Luis Arraez, acquired at the 2026 trade deadline, had given the Phillies another bat to work with down the stretch, but an ankle injury suffered late in the season knocked him out of the opening series against Atlanta.
Otto Kemp has taken Arraezs spot on the roster, while Philadelphia is carrying three catchers as injuries have thinned out some of its other options. Arraezs postseason status is still unsettled beyond the first round, with a possible return if the Phillies get through to the NLDS, so the Braves know the matchup has already shifted once and could shift again if this series extends. [Read more 🡒]