ANAHEIM – Five days after manager Walt Weiss described him as being "sick as a dog," Chris Sale took the mound on Monday in Atlanta's 6-2 loss at Angel Stadium looking to build on his 2-0 start to the 2026 season.
While the veteran left-hander’s velocity remained high – touching 97.5 mph in the first inning – the stability he has provided a depleted Atlanta rotation flickered in a rough fourth inning. Sale, currently anchoring a staff missing Spencer Strider (oblique strain), was charged with six earned runs on five hits over four-plus innings before being relieved in the fifth. He finished his night with seven strikeouts and two walks, throwing 51 of his 77 pitches for strikes.
The outing began with him holding onto the "warrior" mentality Weiss highlighted pregame. Despite a leadoff home run by Zach Neto on a 95.3 mph fastball, Sale responded by striking out the side, fanning Jo Adell and Jeimer Candelario to end the first frame.
"He bounced back well, he's doing great," Weiss said of Sale’s recovery from a stomach bug that kept him quarantined from the team last week. "It’s always nice to have him on the mound for the first game of the series to set the tone for us."
For a rotation that Weiss noted has lost three starters since the beginning of Spring Training, Sale’s health is a necessity. Atlanta entered Monday leading Major League Baseball in ERA, but that depth was tested in the chaotic fourth where Sale's command hit a wall.
After hitting Jorge Soler with a slider to start the inning, Sale allowed a single to Adell. He then walked Jeimer Candelario and Logan O’Hoppe on a combined nine pitches, forcing in a run to give the Angels a 2-1 lead. Sale’s frustration was visible as he paced behind the mound after hitting Yoán Moncada with another slider to force in a second run. By the time Bryce Teodosio grounded an RBI infield single, the Angels had scored three runs in the 28-pitch frame without recording a hard-hit ball – and without Sale recording an out.
The short start puts immediate pressure on an Atlanta bullpen that has already been active during this 13-game stretch without an off-day. With Strider still at least one rehab start away from returning, the Braves' recent trade for right-hander Víctor Mederos highlights the team's ongoing search for Triple-A depth to protect the big league arms.