Sale 'close', but definitely still frustrated

This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman's Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ATLANTA -- Chris Sale exited his April 13 start in Tampa and said, “I just hate sucking, and I’m just bad.” When asked about his performance in the Braves' win over the Twins on Saturday, the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner said, “I [freakin’] sucked.”

If Sale were injured, he might better understand why he has a 6.17 ERA through five starts or why he has completed fewer than five innings in each of his past three starts after doing so just twice all of last season. But he feels good physically, and his velocity has been back to normal in the past two starts.

“I feel like I'm close, but no one cares about that,” Sale said. “This is a game of results. Until I go out there and get good results, nothing I say up here really matters.”

When Sale labored through his first three starts, the assumption was he would be fine as long as his velocity got back to normal. He didn’t have his best stuff, but he still limited the Dodgers to one run through the first five innings of his April 1 start at Dodger Stadium.

This was just a few rough starts, right?

Well, Sale’s four-seamer averaged 93.1 mph in that start against the Dodgers and 92.7 mph when he allowed five runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Phillies on April 8. This pitch averaged 93 mph in two starts last September, including what proved to be his last outing before back discomfort ended his season.

Sale’s four-seamer averaged 96.2 mph when he allowed four runs (three earned) over 4 1/3 innings against the Rays on April 13, and it averaged 94.5 mph as he limited the Twins to two runs over 4 1/3 innings on Saturday. His 2024 average was 94.9 mph.

As for Sale throwing three pitches that ranged from 90-91 mph in Saturday’s fifth inning, he considered those to be a “few misfires.” His final four-seamer was 94.5 mph.

So, he’s healthy, right?

Well, Sale’s arm angle has sat around 7 degrees, as opposed to 11 degrees last season. Is the lower arm angle a sign that his back or left arm is limiting him? The 36-year-old pitcher has adamantly said he is healthy.

Whatever the reasoning, the lower arm slot has created less reliability with fastball command and the effectiveness of his slider.

Opponents have hit .536 and produced a .893 slugging percentage against the southpaw's slider thus far. Even the expected batting average (.370) and expected slugging percentage (.630) with this pitch have been ugly.

Still, as Sale notched eight strikeouts on Saturday, he showed glimpses he might be close to where he needs to be.

“He’s probably got some doable stuff to work through,” manager Brian Snitker said. “I don’t think it’s that he doesn’t feel good. I think it’s all stuff he can control and right.”