Chris Sale Bullpen Move Crushes Phillies
· Yahoo Sports
The Braves just pulled off a win that felt like a heist. We aren’t just talking about the 6-2 score against Philadelphia in Game 3. We are talking about the pure guts it took to use Chris Sale as a closer. It was wild. It was risky. It worked perfectly.
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The strategy didn’ed start in Atlanta. According to reports, the Miami Marlins recently tested a weird way to use starters in relief roles. They even had Sandy Alcantara close a game against Arizona. Now, Walt Weiss is bringing that same energy to the playoffs. On Thursday night, the Braves used Sale in a short stint to protect a lead. As Lindsay Crosby wrote for Braves Today, “Annnnd Chris Sale is in the game. Truist got LOUD when that bullpen door opened. Two outs in the 8th and Bryce Harper is up to bat, with Atlanta holding a 6-2 lead.”
The Power of the Short Sprints
You don’t win in October by playing it safe. The Braves needed to stop the Phillies’ hitters, and they did it with variety. Ray Kerr was the hero of the night. He threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings to help the Braves win. That man hasn’t even been in the big leagues that long. He only had nine games after being recalled on August 16. He even went through Tommy John surgery in 2024. Seeing him dominate was something else. The crowd even gave him a standing ovation as he walked to the dugout.
The bats showed up too. Michael Harris II crushed a three-run homer in the first. Ozzie Albies added a two-run shot in the fourth, and Matt Olson hit a solo shot in the seventh. This wasn’t just luck. It was a total blowout of the Phillies’ staff. Aaron Nola couldn’t find his way through the first inning. He gave up three runs in just 1 2/3 innings. When your ace falls apart like that, you are done.
No More Room for Error
The Phillies are hurting. Their interim manager, Don Mattingly, knows it. He said, “If you don’t win the last game, it’s a crash landing no matter what. It doesn’t matter where it is.” He also noted that the Braves were the best team in the division over the 162-game season. He said, “Those guys kind of went start to finish in this division.” It is a tough pill to swallow for a team that has exited the postseason with increasing speed since 2022.
I love the way Weiss is using his arms. He isn’t afraid to pull the big names to get the right matchups. Using Sale to face Harper is exactly how you win. It puts the pressure on the hitter and keeps the bullpen fresh for the next round. A best-of-five Division Series matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers awaits the Braves as they advance. They earned it by being smarter and more aggressive than Philly.