Chris Sale is set to take the ball for Atlanta on Thursday night, and the Blue Jays arrive at Truist Park needing something more than a reset. Toronto has lost four straight and sits at 29-33, while the Braves keep the biggest division lead in baseball as the game comes with real weight for both sides.
That is why the blue jays - braves matchup is drawing attention now. Sale has been one of the best starters in the sport this season at 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP, numbers that were fourth or better in baseball, and he has been even sharper at home. In his home starts, he is 4-1 with a 0.60 ERA, allowing only two solo home runs and just two runs in 30 innings. Atlanta is also at home, where Sale has given the Braves a reliable edge whenever he takes the mound.
Toronto is trying to answer that with a pitching plan that does not look like a standard one. Mason Fluharty was listed by DraftKings as the Blue Jays' starter even though he has not gone more than 1.1 innings in a game this season and pitched Tuesday. The bullpen has already thrown five innings in the series, yet it has been described as about average in the league and fairly fresh, which adds an odd layer to a team that entered the night on a four-game skid and has spent much of the season chasing stability after early struggles and three starting pitchers landing on the injured list.
There is still some hope for Toronto in the matchup, but it is narrow. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer are a combined 10-for-41 against Sale, a useful sign if the Blue Jays can put runners on base and force Atlanta away from the clean script it prefers. But Sale has been this kind of problem all year, and the Braves have been rolling after last season’s injury mess while the Phillies keep applying pressure without dislodging them from first place.
The next step is simple and unforgiving: Toronto has to find runs against a pitcher who has made a habit of taking the life out of opposing lineups at home. If it cannot, the losing streak grows, and Atlanta’s lead looks even heavier by the time the night is over.
