Phoenix—Chris Sale, the wiry southpaw with a fastball that still snarls, took the mound for the Atlanta Braves on April 25, 2025, and carved through the Arizona Diamondbacks’ lineup like a man on a mission. In a tense 5-1 Braves victory at Chase Field, Sale struck out four batters across five innings, his slider biting and his command razor-sharp despite a bases-loaded scare in the first. The veteran lefty threw 88 pitches, 56 for strikes, holding Arizona to one run on four hits while walking two.
The game started with a jolt. Sale, whose longest outing this season hadn’t cracked six innings, needed 29 pitches to escape the opening frame. The D-Backs loaded the bases with one out, but Sale didn’t flinch. He fanned Corbin Carroll on a filthy slider and induced a lazy flyout from Ketel Marte to slam the door. From there, he settled in, mixing mid-90s heat with a changeup that left hitters lunging. By the fifth, he’d struck out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Eugenio Suárez, both frozen by fastballs that popped the catcher’s mitt like firecrackers.
Sale’s night ended after five, his pitch count climbing and the Braves’ bullpen ready to lock it down. Atlanta’s offense, sparked by Marcell Ozuna’s two-run double in the fourth, gave Sale the cushion he needed. The D-Backs’ lone run came in the third, a solo shot by Christian Walker that barely cleared the left-field wall. Sale didn’t blink, retiring the next three batters in order.
The win moved Atlanta to 17-9, while Arizona dropped to 12-14. Sale’s record improved to 3-1, his ERA sitting at 2.89. The Braves’ starter threw 12 whiffs, with his slider generating six swings and misses. Arizona’s hitters made contact on just 68% of their swings, a testament to Sale’s stuff. The game, played before 28,341 fans, wrapped in 2 hours, 47 minutes.