Braves and Phillies Split Doubleheader as Sale Reaches Milestone
Chris Sale etched his name in baseball history Thursday night, becoming the fastest pitcher to reach 2,500 strikeouts. The Atlanta Braves capitalized on his milestone, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 9-3 in the nightcap of a doubleheader after the Phillies had edged them 5-4 earlier in the day.
Sale (3-3) struck out Edmundo Sosa in the sixth inning, marking his eighth strikeout of the game and achieving the milestone in just 2,026 innings. This feat surpassed the previous record of 2,107 2/3 innings held by Randy Johnson. With this achievement, Sale joins an elite group of only 40 pitchers in major league history to reach 2,500 strikeouts, alongside active stars like Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer.
In a dominant performance, Sale allowed only two hits over six scoreless innings. Sosa was the final batter he faced before exiting. Meanwhile, Austin Riley shone for the Braves with a double, a home run, and four RBIs. Ozzie Albies also contributed significantly with a home run and three RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. Luke Williams added two RBIs as the Braves snapped a three-game losing streak.
On the other side, Zack Wheeler (6-2) struggled for the Phillies, giving up six runs in 5 1/3 innings. This loss marked just the second defeat for Philadelphia in their last 13 games.
In a move to bolster their roster, the Phillies acquired left-hander Josh Walker from Toronto for cash considerations after the game. Walker will be added to the Phillies' 40-man roster but will report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Sale faced a challenge in the fifth inning when he loaded the bases due to two walks and a hit batter. However, he managed to escape the jam by inducing Alec Bohm to ground out to Williams, ending the threat.
Looking ahead, RHP Grant Holmes (3-3, 3.68 ERA) is set to start for the Braves as they begin a three-game series against Boston at home on Friday. The Phillies will counter with RHP Taijuan Walker (2-3, 2.97) in their weekend series opener against Milwaukee, while RHP Quinn Priester (1-2, 4.23) is expected to take the mound for the Brewers.
