The Los Angeles Dodgers are dodging Chris Sale in Game 2 as the Atlanta Braves go with a bullpen game.
Why the Braves aren’t pitching Chris Sale
Braves manager Walt Weiss deployed Sale aggressively in the Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, having him pitch Game 1 and Game 3 in relief.
With Sale out of the mix and a ton of pitching injuries, Weiss had no choice but to roll out a bullpen game in Game 1, but Sale was in the mix for Game 2.
The decision came down to how Sale felt, and the skipper made the bold call to have him go in Game 3, where the Braves could be down 2-0.
“We had a conversation this morning. Look, at the end of the day, we want full-strength Chris Sale,” Weiss said to the media, including Dodgers Nation. “I know him at 80 percent is really good, but that’s what it came down to.
“We’ve given him extra rest all year, and it’s served him very well. It allowed him to do what he did the other night, I think all the extra rest he’d gotten. He’d be on normal rest from his last start, but he had the outing in between. Not sure you’re getting the best version of him pitching today. We’re certain he will pitch in Game 3.”
While Weiss is taking a long-term look at Sale, Braves star Ronald Acuna was conflicted about the decision.
Why the Braves’ decision is causing controversy
Acuna was asked about Sale not starting Game 2, and he paused and took a breath, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, before refraining from commenting.
“I don’t know what I’m going to say about this because I can’t control that. I can control what I can control. So today we go out and try to win. I’m doing my best, my team too, and we’ll see what happens today,” Acuna said.
In the postseason, every edge matters, and for the Dodgers, pushing back a date with Sale puts a big burden on the veteran pitcher to deliver on short rest.
If the Dodgers take a 2-0 lead, the pressure and questions on Weiss will intensify, and for a rookie manager managing in the postseason for the first time, it could be the nail in the coffin for the NLDS.
