Chris Sale turned back the clock Thursday night, delivering one of the most dominant performances of his career as the Atlanta Braves completed a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 1-0 victory.
Sale struck out 11 and tossed a five-hit shutout, while rookie catcher Drake Baldwin provided the game’s only run with a leadoff home run against Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The victory gave the Braves a season series sweep, with Atlanta winning five of six meetings against the Dodgers.
Sale (13-9) was in complete control from the opening pitch, throwing 80 of his 109 pitches for strikes and issuing no walks. The 37-year-old left-hander lowered his ERA to 2.06 while recording his first complete game in more than seven years.
It was Sale’s fourth double digit strikeout performance of the season and the 95th of his career, moving him into seventh place on the all-time Major League Baseball list.
With Atlanta leading by just one run entering the ninth, fans at the sold-out 39,650-seat crowd roared when Sale emerged from the dugout despite relievers being ready in the bullpen. Braves manager Walt Weiss elected to stick with his ace.
Freddie Freeman opened the ninth with a single, but Sale quickly worked out of trouble. Teoscar Hernández popped out before pinch runner Alek Thomas was erased at second on Miguel Rojas’ fielder’s-choice grounder.
That left Sale one out away. He finished the game by striking out Alex Call, securing his 17th career complete game and his first since 2019, when he accomplished the feat with the Boston Red Sox against Kansas City.
It was also Sale’s fourth career shutout and his first since June 5, 2019, when he threw a three-hit shutout against the Royals.
Atlanta needed only one swing to give Sale all the support he would need. Baldwin stepped to the plate to begin the bottom of the first inning and lined the first pitch from Yamamoto into the right-field Chop House restaurant for his 22nd homer of the season.
The blast was Baldwin’s fourth leadoff home run of the year and immediately put the Braves ahead 1-0. From there, the pitching took over.
Yamamoto (12-8) matched Sale for most of the night, allowing just four hits while striking out eight over 6 1/3 innings. The Dodgers’ right-hander kept Atlanta off the scoreboard after Baldwin’s homer, but Sale’s brilliance left Los Angeles without an answer.
One of the night’s most eye-catching moments came in the third inning when Sale fired a fastball at 100.1 mph to Shohei Ohtani. It marked the first time Sale had reached triple digits since July 2018 during his days with Boston.
For a pitcher who has built his reputation around an overpowering fastball and devastating slider, the milestone offered another reminder that Sale still has plenty left in his arm. The Dodgers managed five hits but never produced the big hit they needed against him. The sweep further strengthened Atlanta’s standing against one of the National League’s top teams.
The Braves, who lead the NL East, finished the season series 5-1 against the Dodgers, who remain atop the NL West. Atlanta’s pitching was particularly impressive throughout the three-game series, culminating in Sale’s shutout performance Thursday night.
The Braves also got a contribution from shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, who was rewarded with a start after delivering a game-winning pinch-hit single with two outs in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s 6-5 Atlanta victory.
Kim, who entered Thursday hitting just .078, singled and stole second base in the third inning. But on a night when offense was almost nonexistent, Sale made sure one run was enough. For seven innings, Sale controlled the Dodgers with precision. In the eighth, he continued to attack. And in the ninth, with the crowd on its feet, he finished the job himself.
The result was a vintage performance from a 10-time All-Star and one of baseball’s most accomplished strikeout pitchers. Atlanta needed just one home run and 109 pitches from Sale to finish off Los Angeles.
The Braves’ 1-0 victory not only completed the sweep but sent a powerful message about their pitching and their ability to beat one of the National League’s premier teams.
