Chris Sale was straightforward when asked about hitting over 100 mph during his shutout win against the Dodgers on Thursday. In a post-game chat with the Braves’ broadcast team following his 1-0 victory, he quipped, “With my arm.” This light-hearted remark drew laughter, especially considering it was a remarkable night for the 37-year-old, as he recorded a triple-digit fastball for the first time since 2018 and struck out 11 batters.
This shutout marked Sale’s first since June 5, 2019, in Kansas City.
Remarkably, he became only the sixth pitcher at the age of 37 years and 150 days to achieve 10 or more strikeouts without issuing a walk in a shutout, as noted by MLB statistician Sarah Langs.
Going back to 1900, the list includes legends like Cy Young, Eddie Plank, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, and Randy Johnson, which is quite an impressive company to join.
Another highlight was Sale’s duel with Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani during the third inning. Sale recorded a 100.1 mph fastball against Ohtani, who has won the MVP award four times, forcing him to foul it off after two previous pitches. Just moments later, Ohtani struck out swinging at a slider.
Sale would go on to strike out Ohtani again in the fifth inning, catching him off-guard with a 99.6 mph fastball that soared above the strike zone.
With 24 starts this season, Sale holds a strong 2.06 ERA over 144 innings and has struck out 177 batters.
