After the Atlanta Braves suffered their first loss of the 2024 MLB season in a 5-4 road defeat against the Philadelphia Phillies, it marked the debut start for newly-acquired pitcher Chris Sale with the ballclub. Sale, who joined Atlanta from the Boston Red Sox during the offseason, aimed to bolster the Braves’ pitching rotation, which had struggled in their past two postseason defeats, both against the Phillies.
In his debut, Sale put in a solid performance, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out seven Philadelphia batters over 5 and one-third innings of work. Reflecting on the game afterward, Sale offered a straightforward assessment of the team’s effort.
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“It would have been nice to pull this one through, but today was a dogfight,” Sale remarked, as reported by Bally Sports: Braves on X. “Sometimes you’re on the right side, sometimes you’re on the wrong side, but we didn’t give up, we didn’t quit, and that’s what you want to see.”
Sale also analyzed his individual performance and its importance for the team moving forward.
“Just staying on it, you know?” Sale continued. “No confetti gets thrown in March, so we’ve still got a long road, a long ways to go, so just staying on top of things I’ve got to stay on top of and just trying to be successful.”
Despite the loss, the Braves managed to win the series against the Phillies, taking two out of three games, marking their first series victory of the early 2024 season.
Aiming for redemption in Atlanta, it’s worth noting that both of the Braves’ postseason defeats since their 2021 World Series Championship have come at the hands of the Phillies, following similar patterns. In both instances, Atlanta stumbled in Game 1, rebounded in Game 2, but ultimately fell in Games 3 and 4 on the road in Philadelphia, without the opportunity to return home to fend off elimination.
The memories of those two postseason defeats were undoubtedly lingering in the minds of the players over the weekend in Philadelphia. However, it’s important to recognize that seeking revenge in the postseason can only happen when the stakes are high, not in the early stages of the regular season in March.
Nevertheless, Atlanta must maintain a focus on taking each game as it comes, a mindset they demonstrated in their approach to opening the series against Philadelphia. This season, the Braves are eyeing an impressive seventh consecutive NL East division title, reminiscent of their dominant run over the division in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Despite their regular-season success, the Braves are undoubtedly feeling the pressure to secure a championship, particularly given the disappointment of their recent playoff losses to the Phillies. With this “championship or bust” mentality, Atlanta heads into their next series against the Chicago White Sox on the road, commencing on Monday afternoon.
