Sale looks to keep shining on extra rest to wrap up road trip
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Chris Sale will be looking to improve his All-Star resume when the Braves conclude a seven-game road trip against the Giants on Sunday afternoon at Oracle Park.
Sale ranks third among qualified National League pitchers with a 2.14 ERA. The 37-year-old hurler has allowed three earned runs or less in 13 of his 14 starts this season. He has a 1.72 ERA over his past 11 starts.
Attempting to keep their veteran ace strong throughout the season, the Braves haven’t had Sale pitch on regular rest since he made his third start, on April 6. The southpaw has made just three starts this month, with the two most recent coming 10 days apart.
A well-rested Sale will be facing the Giants with three extra days of rest. He has posted a 1.59 ERA in the five starts he has made with at least two extra days of rest.
Sale’s arm has positively reacted to the extra rest. His four-seam fastball averaged 97.5 mph on June 10 against the White Sox and 97 mph against the Blue Jays on June 4. Those stand as the two highest averages he has produced in any start going back to the start of the 2019 season. The 96.5 mph average he produced against the Brewers on June 20 stands as the sixth-highest average during this span.