Chris Sale Shines, Matt Olson Seals Braves’ Extra-Inning Win
What a night it was in Washington, where the Braves and Nationals faced off in the second game of a doubleheader. All eyes were on Chris Sale, and for good reason. Despite a two-hour rain delay before the first pitch and showers continuing through the early innings, none of it fazed the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. Sale went out there and delivered one of his sharpest outings of the season, holding the Nationals completely in check for eight scoreless innings.
He threw 106 pitches, struck out nine, allowed only three hits, and didn’t give up a single walk. It was a masterclass in command and poise, and the Nationals simply had no answer for him. The way he used his slider in particular left hitters looking baffled, and as the game wore on, he only seemed to get stronger. Even Nationals infielder Nasim Nuñez admitted afterward that Sale was locked in a rhythm that was nearly impossible to disrupt.
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What made the performance even more remarkable was that Sale had no run support behind him. Through his eight innings, the Braves’ offense was silent, managing just three hits while he was on the mound. That meant when Sale left the game, the score was still tied at 0-0.
The Nationals had a golden chance in the bottom of the ninth to win it. They got the potential winning run just 90 feet from home with only one out, but came up empty when Ronald Acuña Jr. tracked down a hard-hit ball at the wall. That missed opportunity opened the door for Atlanta in extras, and they didn’t waste it.
In the top of the 10th, rookie pinch-hitter Drake Baldwin came through in a big way, drilling a double off the right-field wall to bring in the first run of the night. That set the tone, and the Braves’ bats finally woke up. Matt Olson then delivered the knockout punch — a bases-clearing triple that blew the game wide open. By the time Ozzie Albies added a sacrifice fly, the Braves had put up a five-run frame.
The Nationals couldn’t answer in the bottom half, and just like that, Atlanta secured a 5-0 victory and a sweep of the doubleheader. For Washington, the loss was another tough blow in a season already defined by struggles, but for Atlanta, it was proof of both their pitching depth and their offensive firepower when it matters most.
Still, as impressive as that five-run 10th inning was, the night belonged to Chris Sale. He lowered his ERA to 2.35 and once again reminded everyone why he’s one of the most respected pitchers in the game. Nationals manager Miguel Cairo summed it up best: sometimes, there’s just nothing you can do when a pitcher of that caliber is in complete control. And on this night, Sale was exactly that.
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