Braves Get Big Win, But Sale Sounds Off on Rough Night on Mound

The reigning Cy Young Award winner was left frustrated that he didn't do his part in the win over the Philadelphia Phillies

The Braves won, but that isn't a comfort to him | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner and Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale expressed his frustrations after a rough night on the mound. He was glad the offense was able to back him up en route to a 7-5 win over the Phillies, but it wasn’t making him feel better. 

“We won this game, but I know I’m gonna be staring at the ceiling until 3 in the morning tonight,” he said. 

Sale knows what it takes to find success; he just needs the time to find a flow and his rhythm. 

“I just gotta find a groove,” Sale said. “It’s not clicked yet. It’s not all put together, which is frustrating because I felt like I was there in Spring Training....I got some days to figure it out. I got time.” 

In three starts, Sale has a 6.75 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. His five earned runs against the Phillies were the most this season. In five Spring Training starts, he had a 2.79 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. Something didn't tag along with him back to Atlanta from North Port, and he had no trouble elaborating what on that was.

Sale said that being able to find that control and having it every start is what it’s going to take. 

“I would say just consistency. Being able to throw my pitches for strikes,” Sale said. “And location; I was throwing a lot of fastballs that kinda leaned back over, changeups that really didn’t drop a whole lot...just commanding and consistency is going to get me back to that.”

Last season saw Chris Sale return to his All-Star form after struggling with injuries for the better part of five seasons. He finished the season with an 18-3 record, a 2.38 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, a 174 ERA+ and 225 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings pitched.

This effort won him the National League Cy Young Award, the NL Triple Crown and the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award. He's done it before, he knows he can do it again.

To provide some hope for Sale, April wasn't smooth for him last season either. He had a 4.38 ERA in his four stars. He had a 0.69 ERA in his following six starts and his 0.56 ERA in May earned him NL Pitcher of the Month.

He showed time was on his side last season, and he has a chance to show again this season that it still is.