The Atlanta Braves managed to secure one win in Philadelphia this week thanks to a crucial offensive surge. Meanwhile, their starting pitcher from last night’s game also made history while continuing his strong performance in May.
Chris Sale and Zack Wheeler came into the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader as leading contenders for the National League Pitcher of the Month award for May.
Ultimately, Sale stood out as the frontrunner by pitching six scoreless innings. He capped off his performance with a milestone strikeout—his 2,500th career punchout.
Sale joined an exclusive group as only the 40th pitcher in MLB history to reach 2,500 strikeouts. Additionally, he set a new MLB record by achieving this milestone in the fewest innings pitched, surpassing Randy Johnson.
Braves finally get good injury luck with Nick Allen update
After suffering a couple of injuries in the first game of the doubleheader, the Braves received some relief last night when the injury update for shortstop Nick Allen was announced. Allen was hit on the knuckles by a pitch during Thursday’s game and had to leave early, raising concerns that the Braves might be without another starter.
Fortunately, Allen’s x-rays showed no fractures, and he is expected to return within a few days. While Allen isn’t a major offensive contributor, his defensive presence is significant. According to Baseball Savant, he leads all major league shortstops with 11 Outs Above Average (OAA), making his absence noticeably felt on defense.
Braves option reliever back to Gwinnett following Phillies series
Following last night’s doubleheader, the Atlanta Braves sent Dylan Dodd back to Triple-A Gwinnett. The series against their NL East rival highlighted one key issue: the bullpen needs a serious shake-up.
Daysbel Hernandez had a rough series, struggling in every appearance, making it clear he shouldn’t remain in the eighth-inning role assigned by Snitker. If the bullpen keeps underperforming, expect the front office to promote a promising prospect to take a shot at stabilizing things.
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