To say the Atlanta Braves have failed to live up to 2025 expectations is an incredible understatement. Monday night's win pushed the team to only nine games below .500 and gave a bit of respite from what felt like an endless losing streak. Braves fans won't be surprised by who made the start that helped end the team's misery and gave the fan base hope that perhaps things were turning in the right direction.
If there is one Brave that doesn't deserve a single bit of blame for how Atlanta's season has gone, it is starter Chris Sale. The veteran starter defines the definition of a gamer, always ready to put the team on his back. Sale has been doing just that over his last five starts, giving up one earned run or less in each of these appearances. In three of these games, Sale has gone 7.0 innings while striking out a combined 43 hitters over the veteran's last five starts.
Braves Starter Chris Sale Continues Valiant Attempts to Put a Failing Franchise on His Back
It hasn't mattered whether or not Sale has his best stuff or hits a rough patch, the starter has found a way to navigate each game. Understanding the team's unreliable offense, the veteran has pitched each game with a playoff level of intensity. Sale's attempts to put the team on his back illustrate why the pitcher is so beloved by the fan base and has had such an impressive career.
Dating back to his days in Chicago, the starter has been a fiery presence on the mound with a scary level of competitive intensity. While it hasn't resulted in as many wins as it should for the lefty, it has given Braves fans something to look forward to every five starts.
The starter's continual efforts to help turn a dumpster fire of a season around serve as a reminder of the heights this team could be reaching. If not for an incredibly cheap offseason, this is a team that should still be in the mix, not only in the National League but within its own division.
Opting not to re-sign Max Fried or add much-needed depth throughout the roster has had a predictable result. One that requires the heroics of Sale to give the team a consistent chance at a win. With an offense that so often pulls a disappearing act, the veteran's reliability has often been lost amid the frustration.
For Sale, the pitcher continues to say all of the right things and do everything in his power to turn the season around. One the Braves continue to waste due to a cheap ownership and front office group that continues to refuse to get out of its own way.