While the Atlanta Braves likely have slowed the growing concerns on how the team has gotten their season started with their 7-5 win over the Phillies on Tuesday, pitcher Chris Sale may have made some fans of the team feel a bit uneasy following his start Tuesday, allowing nine hits, including a solo homerun, and five runs through 4.2 innings pitched.
On Wednesday, Steak Shapiro and Sandra Golden shared their thoughts on the Braves win and Sales outing, which while manager Brian Snitker said he was not worried about the 2024 National League Cy Young winner, Golden’s sentiments were quite the opposite, noting a tweet by MLB Braves’ beat writer Mark Bowman, who highlighted the velocity of the veteran pitcher’s fastball dropping through the course of the night.
Through his first three starts, Sale has allowed 19 hits and 11 earned runs through 14.2 innings pitched and currently has an ERA of 6.75. “That’s not where we need our Cy Young winner to be,” Golden said as she expressed her worries over Sale’s performance of late. “He beats himself up so much,” Shapiro added, sharing his thoughts on Sale.
Ultimately, Shapiro and Golden believe Sale “works harder and cares more” about his production and will put in the necessary work to improve himself, however, being at the front of the rotation places some urgency on him returning to his award-winning status of a year ago.