Chris Sale Shines as Braves Face Injury Challenges in MLB News

The Atlanta Braves lost Spencer Schwellenbach to another injury, but the good news for them is that they've got the hottest pitcher going right now. That may be even hotter than the Miz. That's Chris Sale, who without a doubt, at this point, if you're looking at some of those prediction markets, he may not win that Cy Young, and he may not finish second, but he is not going any lower than third at this point, Tom. He's having another career season. They're starting to talk Hall of Fame for this guy. In fact, some people thought this was like his signature start over his career. Sale said that his son being in the stands cheering for him like he was put himself over the top. If you don't think emotional stuff doesn't matter, man, he told you that it does. You know, this is the thing with the Braves, Tom, that I think that we have to just discuss here. Now, his last seven starts, he's got 60 strikeouts. He's in the mix. I don't think he's going to win. Everyone loves the Miz, and Sale is not a guy who puts himself out there as much as some of these other guys do. He just wants to go and pitch, but I would say this. I understand, Tom, the notion, and we all should understand the notion, that the Braves are not going to have better starting pitching than the Dodgers in the postseason and probably not going to have better starting pitching than the Brewers in the postseason. I think that that is fair, but if Sale is this hot and Atlanta plays in a seven-game series, you're seeing this guy three times in a seven-game series. So, yeah, their two and their three and their four may not be as good as the other teams, but if their one is better than everybody else, Tom, that matters too. It really does, and I'm looking at this from not a seven-game series because I've been on the record of saying, I think the Braves have the best lineup, and I think the Braves can go toe-to-toe with the Phillies. They can go toe-to-toe with the Dodgers when it comes to an offense perspective, but obviously, the pitching, as you said, is always going to be a step behind the Dodgers, the Brewers, and the Phillies, really, across the board. What I always want to know is what happens in a short series, right? It's not about a seven-game series because if the Braves get to a seven-game series, yeah, Sale, we're going to see him multiple times, but a short series is where I do think the Braves will be really up against it because if you go out there and you win with Sale or you don't win with Sale, that's the real issue. Can you salvage another start where you're going to have Martine Perez or Tyler Molly starting? And listen, Brent Holmes and Bryce Elder, they've been fine. They've been doing their thing. I'd give you five, six innings. I'd give them two or three in runs, but can they out-duel the high-end pitchers that the Phillies have, that the Brewers have, and whatever the postseason bracket shakes out to be? So that's where I'm really worried, but if Sale's at his peak, I think we would take him over any other NL starter outside of Yamamoto with postseason success. Yeah, I think it's possible there. I mean, look, the Miz could end up dominating the postseason and winning the World Series. Lazardo's having a career year, too. There are other guys that are out there. It's just Sale right now with his history and the way that he has pitched, no doubt. And as I mentioned, Spencer Schwellenbach, not going to pitch, it looks like, for the Braves this season. They're hoping that he returns. Man, this poor guy has had so many injuries over the last couple of years. Hard to see him back for the Braves in the postseason. Meanwhile, Paul Skeens looked a little bit better last time out. He threw 98.6 miles an hour. Maybe some of the things that they're tinkering with is working, if I'm not mistaken. Sam, is Skeens pitching Sunday? I don't think so. Is he? I just want to make sure. OK, so he is pitching against the Giants next week. So that's going to be another good start for him, the Giants think. And then, you know, we'll start talking about Skeens for next year. Not surprising, Tom. It just takes time to get yourself figured out. That's all that's happening here.