Chris Sale Racks Up Multiple Career Milestones In Braves Win

Chris Sale had another dominant night for the Atlanta Braves, continuing his recent resurgence. 

After the game, he said of the things he tried to do was "try not to suck."

So far, so good. He pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out 10. Along with setting his team up for the win, he had his share of milestones for his career. 

He made his 300th start, making him the 11th active player to reach the mark. 

His 10-strikeout performance was the 89th of his career. It’s the eighth-most in MLB history. Of the six retired hurlers with more such efforts than Sale, five are Hall-of-Famers, including Nolan Ryan (215), Randy Johnson (212), Pedro Martínez (108) and Sandy Koufax (97).

In the seventh inning of action, he recorded his 2,000th career inning pitched. He became the fifth active pitcher to do so, joining Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw and Charlie Morton.

“It seems like we’re throwing every ball out because he’s surpassing somebody or reaching another milestone,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “And it just speaks volumes to the career that the man has had - how he’s persevered through a lot of injuries and all that. 

While Sale is not the type to gloat about his achievements, it was nice to still have them, especially with the ups and downs the last few years. 

“I appreciate those things, I really do,” he said. “I don’t want to sit up here and talk about myself a lot, but I appreciate the path that I got to get here to this point. Some of it was easy. Some of it was really not...I’m just thankful for the that helped me get to this point, and I guess that makes me feel a little old too.” 

Not too long ago, he had 11 starts in just three seasons. Now, he’s won his first career Cy Young Award and has stuck around long enough to reach the company of those in Cooperstown. 

He has prevailed in his effort to not suck.

Even after a rough first few weeks, he’s turning the corner again. In his last four starts, Sale’s ERA is 1.95. These milestones are not the last we’ll see from him. He’s 30 strikeouts away from 2,500 in his career. Only 39 pitchers in history can say they’ve done that. He’s closing in on being the 40th. 

He was one of the best pitchers in the game for a solid decade, and in the twilight of his career, he’s reminding everyone what he can do. That certainly puts him in the conversation for best of his generation. 

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