Braves game today puts Chris Sale on the mound against the Mets at 8:08 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 4. The Braves entered it trying to secure a series win, their first since June 20th, after a June described as absolutely miserable.
Sale Faces Sean Manaea
Sale started for the Braves, with Sean Manaea going for New York. That matchup gave Atlanta a direct chance to turn a strong outing into something the lineup had not always supplied since May: wins.
Chris Sale had been brilliant of late and really all year, but the Braves' offense had not consistently converted that into victories. The club finally hit a handful of homers on Friday night, which offered the clearest sign that the bats might be ready to back him for once.
Braves Need A Win
The bigger issue was not Sale’s form. It was whether the Braves could put together enough offense around him to finish the job in a game that carried the weight of a series chase. That was the gap between a good start and the result Atlanta needed.
Saturday’s start mattered because it came after a stretch that had not produced a series win since June 20th. If the Braves could finally match Sale’s pitching with steady run support, they would leave the July 4 matchup with more than just another sharp outing from their starter.
Whether the Braves turned Sale’s start into the series win they were seeking remained the only result that counted.
