ATLANTA – Chris Sale will attempt to take another step toward one of the top 25 strikeout totals in MLB history when he takes the mound against the Phillies on Sunday afternoon at Truist Park.
Sale passed Tom Glavine and moved into 29th place with 2,608 strikeouts after his last start. The 37-year-old lefty needs just three more strikeouts to pass Chuck Finley and gain sole possession of 28th place on the all-time list.
He'll look to duplicate the success he had on April 18, when he struck out seven and held the Phillies to one run over a season-high seven innings. Coming off that 101-pitch effort, he will enter Sunday’s start with three extra days of rest.
The Braves acquired Sale from the Red Sox in December 2023 and watched him resurrect his career, earning both the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award and the National League Cy Young Award. The club showed further confidence in him in February, signing him to a one-year, $27 million contract extension that includes a $30 million option for the 2028 season.
Sale has allowed one run or less in four of his first five starts. He has a 2.79 ERA in the five starts he’s made against the Phillies since the start of the 2024 season.