Sale in control once again with 7 stellar frames in Miami

MIAMI -- Chris Sale has accomplished a lot in his career, but one of the few feats that had eluded him entering Wednesday was a win over the Marlins.

He and the Braves made sure to change that with their 9-1 victory over Miami at loanDepot park.

Sale entered the matchup with a 1.96 ERA, fourth best among qualifying National League starters, but also with an 0-2 record and a 5.30 ERA in three career starts against the Fish.

Although the 37-year-old’s strikeout rate is down slightly from last season (29.6% this year compared to 32.4% in 2025), his 37% chase rate entering Wednesday is the highest of his 16-year career and the sixth best in the Majors.

One of the main reasons Sale has remained dominant since his rookie season is the tunneling of his fastball and slider. Combined with his arm angle, throwing from well outside his body with an extended release, his fastball appears to move sideways even when it doesn’t. The slider, meanwhile, breaks sharply in that direction, making the two pitches look similar.

He followed a similar script on Wednesday, striking out eight over seven innings while once again leaning on that fastbal/slider combo. His slider generated a 54% whiff rate, and of his 96 pitches, six strikeouts came on the slider. His other two strikeouts came on the four-seamer, with Sale capping his night by retiring the final 10 batters he faced.