Win, win, win. Behind a masterful performance by Chris Sale, the Braves cruised to a 5-0 victory over the Mets. In 8 2/3 innings, Sale surrendered just five hits, all singles, and did not allow a baserunner past second. He pounded the zone all night, tossing 85 (!) strikes on 116 pitches. He came within one batter–a bloop single by Nimmo with two outs in the ninth–of a complete game shutout. It surprised me that Sale was sent out for the ninth, but give Snit credit for giving him a shot at the complete game shutout. Get this: Lindor, Soto, and Alonso went 0-12 with 5 K’s among them. Since the beginning of May, Sale has been the best starter in the game.
Speaking of best in the game, is there anyone you’d rather have than Ronald Acuña, Jr., on your team? Yes, I’m aware of that two-way guy in LA and the very large rightfielder for the Yankees. I’d take them, of course. But the amazing thing is that, even with those two all-time talents active right now, RAJ is in the conversation for best player in the game.
For some inexplicable reason, the Mets starter (whose name escapes me) threw his first pitch of the game in the strike zone, and Ronald promptly slammed it over the center field wall. After a 1-3 night with a walk, Acuña’s OPS is 1.215. After the leadoff homer, the Braves added two more runs in the first. Given that 3-0 lead and the way Sale was pitching, this was one of the least stressful games I’ve watched this season. Thanks, guys!
Other good things happened on the offensive end: Olson was 2-4 with a homer (his 15th); Ozzie had a triple and a double; and Nick Allen had two bases on balls. When you’re hitting ninth in front of Ronald right now, it’s great to get on base any way that you can.
Francouer and Glavine were in the booth tonight. I got a kick out of Frenchy asserting that the Braves need to get more offense out of the bottom of the lineup, especially from Harris and Albies. No quarrel there—we all know that. The funny part was his complaint that they are swinging at too many breaking pitches out of the zone. Again, he’s right of course. But has there ever been a Braves player who flailed at so many pitches that weren’t even close to being strikes? The broadcast had some good footage of Glavine getting Frenchy to swing at changeups that were nowhere near the zone. The whole sequence brought back fond memories of Mac’s many brilliant laments about Francouer.
The Braves go for the sweep tomorrow behind Spencer Strider against Clay Holmes. There’s still a big hill to climb, but there’s a spring in our steps after winning 6 of the last 8. Keep playing like this and there is plenty of time to make up the 6 game Wild Card deficit. The best part is, we’ve even got some Mets fans worried about our making up that 11 game deficit in the division. I doubt we will overcome that chasm, but it’s pleasant to cause anxiety among Mets fans.
Great point about Allen getting on twice, Tfloyd. And it took a great play to rob him of a RBI single. When Allen inevitably has to go back to the bench, I hope he continues to have a spot in the org. He came in with no expectations but has played as close to a starter as you can.
These 2 wins are so encouraging. Our stars got the job done. Even Iglesias is doing his bit. If the proven guys do their jobs, we have a chance.
Yeah Allen is a keeper. He is a passable starter, and I don’t mind his bat if you don’t have .230 hitters at LF and 2B. Might make more sense to upgrade on Albies since more guys who thump can play 2B, and elite 2-way SS is probably the most expensive thing other than ace pitcher.
Allen is a throwback player — an elite defender with no hit tool. He would have had a long career in the 1980s or 1990s.
If you could somehow get his wRC+ up into the 80s, it would be a lot more tenable.
What a great win. Just what the doctor ordered.
Anthopoulos made a comment that’s being interpreted as shutting the door on trading Sale, but I read it more ambivalently:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/anthopoulos-on-trading-chris-sale-will-not-happen.html
What he’s really saying is, “I won’t do it unless circumstances change.”
Which means that anything could still happen. I think he was trying to send a signal to the clubhouse that he still believes in them, which is nice, but he explicitly left the door open on a Sale trade. If he trades Sale in a month, everyone will go back to this quote and read it in that light.
I read AA as a stronger No on trading Sale that you do, Alex. I agree that he is trying to signal to the clubhouse that he hasn’t and won’t give up on them for this year. But I also think he really means it–as of today, there is no reason to give up on the playoffs for this year; that is, making the playoffs is still a realistic possibility.
The qualification is that if at the end of July there is not a realistic shot at the postseason, then you may as well unload short term assets for pieces that make you stronger down the road. But I read short term assets as just those whose contracts expire at the end of this year. The only one in that category with any value is Ozuna–and that’s not a huge amount of value. I suppose a good month from Iglesias may generate some interest in him, but again nothing big.
The one player with an expiring contract who could bring a big haul is Sale. But the club option for 2026 makes it hard for me to imagine trading him at this trade deadline. If the club plans to compete in 2026–and I’m certain they do–I think you’ve got to keep Sale for next year. His price of 18 million for 2026 is a great deal for the Braves.
In any event, I’m betting the team is at least within striking distance of a wild card spot in another month, and Anthopoulos will be buying rather than selling. Of course, he has very little value in prospects to trade.
Yes. “You’d have to be extreme” could mean that he would listen to fantastic offers only. Or it could mean the team would have to totally collapse. Either sounds like a reasonable position for a GM to take.
In a recent MLBTR chat, I asked who they could shop for value beyond Sale and Ozuna, and they suggested that Pierce Johnson and Aaron Bummer might have value. I was somewhat incredulous, but who knows? Maybe his baseball-savant page might look as red to another team as it did to AA before he acquired him, and we certainly know that teams are always looking for middle relief at the deadline — AA himself spent serious prospect capital at the deadline in 2019 to acquire Chris Martin, Shane Greene, and Mark Melancon.
I think you’re right, tfloyd, that AA is really saying, “I’ll only throw up the white flag if we’re basically mathematically out of it” – and, personally, I’d like for him to have a lower bar than that, because I don’t want us hanging on to valuable assets unless we really believe that our shot is realistic. I basically think he’s talking about a standard where there can be no reasonable doubt that we’re out of it, and I’m calling for a standard where the preponderance of evidence suggests that we’re out of it.
If Detroit wants to go for it this year and you’re 12 games out and they call offering any four of their top ten prospects for Sale, then obviously you trade him. Honestly, AA’s interviews are rarely, if ever, enlightening, and he’s always talking in sort of a mealy-mouthed way. I don’t take any stock in anything he says. If he told me the sky was blue, I’d step outside to look.
We talking cornflower blue, turquoise or periwinkle? Why so short on deets?
Rumor is that Didier Fuentes is getting called up. I would guess it’s to fortify the bullpen as there isn’t currently a rotation spot.
Bowman says it’s a spot start to push everyone back a day for extra rest. Most of the pitchers have thrown deep into the games lately.
Sounds like a showcase for trade.
Nice AB, Drake…
Let’s pick up a couple more here
And great AB by Ozzie. Although I’ve got to assume he had the take sign for all four pitches, at least he did actually take them.
We lucked out with the walks (of course, Baldwin did have a great AB), but the key was another K with a man on 3rd and less than two outs. This time it was Ozuna but it’s always someone.
Now that is a clutch AB. Way to go Olson!
And Matty Matt gets the big hit. With 6 runs now, we have passed the 5 run threshold. I wish we could play the Mets 162 times.
IWOTM
Recapped
Good teams win the blowouts.
And clobber the bad teams. Let’s sink the fish!