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Veteran pitcher Chris Sale is aging like fine wine, as the Atlanta Braves All-Star showed why's regarded as one of the best hurlers of his generation. The former World Series winner was engaged in an engrossing battle against San Francisco Giants' Blake Snell on Monday.
Reigning Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who has rediscovered his golden touch since the All-Star break, went toe to toe against eight-time All-Star Chris Sale in one of the most intense pitching duels of the season.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, while the game was scoreless, Chris Sale showed his razor-sharp reflex from the mound to nab a hard-hit comebacker from the Giants' Casey Schmitt to end the inning.
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The two pitchers were in no mood to let the other gain an advantage, as both went scoreless during their time from the mound. While Snell almost pulled off another no-hitter before conceding a double in the seventh inning, Sale fanned out a season-high 12 hitters in seven innings.
Chris Sale outduels Blake Snell as Braves secure narrow win
The two veteran starters registered a historic feat during their remarkable duel, becoming the first pair of opposing pitchers to strike out 10 batters without conceding more than three hits while also allowing no runs. The two combined for an impressive 23 strikeouts in the game.
"Snell + Sale are the only of those duos to both also allow 0 runs."
With neither starter affording an inch to the hitters, the game headed into the extra inning, where the Atlanta Braves broke the shackles on Travis d’Arnaud’s sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to open the scoring.
The Braves held on to their slender lead to register a hard-fought win in the series opener. While veteran starter Chris Sale lowered his ERA to 2.61 in a bid for his first Cy Young award, the Braves moved one game ahead of the New York Mets in the race for the final spot of the National League wild card spot.
The two teams lock horns in the second game of the series on Monday at Oracle Park, with the Braves hoping to clinch the series with successive wins.
