Braves Chris Sale Focused on the Good From Latest Spring Training Start

It's easy to judge a day by how many runs were allowed, but the Atlanta Braves left-hander felt good about what will help keep him successful long term

Sale felt there was way more good than there was the bad on Friday | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Most will look at the stat line at the end of the game to draw a simple conclusion. However, Chris Sale walked away from his start feeling good with what matters most in spring training. It's the time of year when you can go a bit deeper than the end result.

The Atlanta Braves ace said his mechanics were right where he wanted them to be. Everything was clicking. The two home runs weren't ideal, but they came on two outlier pitches.

"I felt like my arm was loose; everything was coming out really good," Sale said after his outing on Friday.

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He built up his pitch count to 45, up from the 37 he threw on Saturday. That's another important stepping stone. He's that much closer to a starter's workload.

His fastball topped out at 97.5 mph on the radar gun, which, while a welcome stat, caught him by surprise. There wasn't any overexertion. When everything clicks, good results come your way. However, he wasn't going to put much stock in it.

"I just felt really good with my command. Those are really the only things I'm really focused on right now. Velocity is just kind of a cherry on top."

Right now, he has to focus on what will help him continue his success. A pitcher can't get caught up in how many runs are allowed in a spring training game. The score quite literally doesn't matter.

It compromises the focus on the end goal. Check off the necessary boxes, and the desired outcome will follow, and when the games actually matter for something.

The offense tacked on 15 runs to back up their starter. However, most nights, they'll need a fraction of the production to walk away with a win. It goes both ways. A strong offensive showing helps the pitcher relax, and knowing who is on the mound helps ease the mind of the hitters.

"I think any time you get a guy who's that good on the mound, you have a lot of confidence that we got to score one run most days," Braves outfielder Mike Yastrzemski said. "So there's a lot of pressure taken off, and as long as we way play clean defense behind him and put one across, we've got a really good chance."

Sale is coming off another strong season with the Braves, one that earned him a contract extension that should ensure he retires with the team. Instead of building up to what could be a grand finale, this is a ramp to one of a couple more chances to try and win a World Series in Atlanta.