Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale struck out 10 batters and reached 99 mph in a 3-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday at Oracle Park.
Sale, 37, allowed two runs, one earned, over six innings while throwing his second-hardest pitch of the season at 99.3 mph. The performance came despite defensive errors by third baseman Austin Riley and second baseman Ozzie Albies that contributed to both Giants runs in the sixth inning.
Braves manager Walt Weiss noted the challenges facing the team. "These are the way things go when you’re not going well," Weiss said. "Their stuff falls and ours doesn’t."
The loss marked Atlanta’s 12th in its past 16 games, shrinking its National League East lead over the Philadelphia Phillies to three games. Sale’s ERA stands at 2.10, second in the league, and he has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 14 of 15 starts this season.
Weiss praised the right-hander’s form. "It’s Cy Young [Award-type] stuff," he said. Sale’s outing positions him for a potential third straight All-Star selection.
