Chris Sale Bullpen Move Crushes Phillies

The Braves just pulled off a win that felt like a heist. We aren't just talking about the 6-2 score against Philadelphia in Game 3. We are talking about the pure guts it took to use Chris Sale as a closer. It was wild. It was risky. It worked perfectly.

The strategy didn'ed start in Atlanta. According to reports, the Miami Marlins recently tested a weird way to use starters in relief roles. They even had Sandy Alcantara close a game against Arizona. Now, Walt Weiss is bringing that same energy to the playoffs. On Thursday night, the Braves used Sale in a short stint to protect a lead. As Lindsay Crosby wrote for Braves Today, "Annnnd Chris Sale is in the game. Truist got LOUD when that bullpen door opened. Two outs in the 8th and Bryce Harper is up to bat, with Atlanta holding a 6-2 lead."