Chris Sale takes the mound Thursday night for the Braves against the Blue Jays, and Atlanta is one win from a sweep. Toronto comes in at 29-33 and has lost four straight, making this a game that could tilt quickly if Sale again looks anything like the pitcher the Braves have had at home all season.
That is why Sale is the name people are searching now. He has gone 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP this season, and his work in Atlanta has been even sharper: a 4-1 record, a 0.60 ERA and only two solo homers allowed at home. He has also struck out 2,500 batters faster than any pitcher in MLB history, a pace that still frames every start he makes as more than a routine turn through the rotation.
The matchup also lands at a moment when Toronto needs to steady itself. The Blue Jays entered Thursday trying to stop the slide after four straight losses, and the burden on the pitching staff has already been heavy. Mason Fluharty, listed by DraftKings as the starter, pitched Tuesday and has not gone beyond 1.1 innings in a game this season, while Toronto’s bullpen had already covered 5 innings in the series. If he cannot work deep, the Jays will have to piece together the rest against one of baseball’s best arms in a park where he has barely been touched.
Sale’s numbers at home are part of the reason Atlanta is pressing toward the finish. He has allowed just two runs in 30 innings at home, and the Braves have been in control of the division race while Toronto has been left to search for answers. That gap shows up in the matchup itself too: Vladimir Guerrero and George Springer are a combined 10-for-41 against Sale, which leaves the Blue Jays with little comfort even before the first pitch. Atlanta can complete the sweep with him on the mound. Toronto’s best chance is to outlast him and hope the innings after Fluharty become a problem for the home team, too.
