Weekend reflections: Time to worry about Braves ace Chris Sale

“Might be something you better ask the other team,” Sale said. “I don’t know. I’m just trying to compete and trying to throw strikes, and it’s just not working.”

It seems I wasn’t being silly to wonder whether Sale is adrift. He hasn’t been as bad as his 6.63 ERA through four starts suggests. Strip out luck and you get a 3.63 fielding independent pitching stat for Sale. But that’s still well above his 2.89 FIP over his first 12 seasons as a starter.

Sale has allowed three or more earned runs in four consecutive games. That happens all the time with lesser pitchers. It rarely happens with Sale, who’s finished among the top six in Cy Young Award voting eight times.

Per Baseball Reference, Sale had a four-game stretch of three-plus earned runs just twice over his first 12 years as a starter (292 games). The first occurrence was just a blip during a dominant run. The second episode was a harbinger of decline.

Sale allowed three or more earned runs in four consecutive starts during the 2017 season with the Red Sox. Then he posted a 1.52 ERA over his next four starts. He finished second in AL Cy Young Award that year. The next season he finished fourth and helped the Red Sox win the World Series.

Sale had another four-start stretch with three or more earned runs in 2019. He didn’t recover that time.

Sale posted a 4.79 ERA over his next six starts through Aug. 13, then was shut down with elbow inflammation. He missed the truncated 2020 season after Tommy John elbow surgery. Sale made nine starts in 2021 (3.16 ERA) but began the 2022 season on the 60-day injured list with a right rib stress fracture.

Sale wasn’t the same pitcher for the Red Sox again. He found his form after they traded him to the Braves in December 2023. Sale never gave any reason to believe he was over-the-hill in 2024. He had no injury issues until the season’s final week, when back spasms kept him off mound for a must-win game against the Mets.

I could still end up looking silly for doubting Sale. After his fastball velocity averaged 93.2 mph during his first three starts, it was up to 94.8 mph Sunday. Jarred Kelenic’s defensive lapses hurt Sale.

It’s not yet May, but Sale already sounds worried about Sale. He’s never had five consecutive starts with three earned runs or more.

Sale’s next turn is scheduled for Saturday against the Twins at Truist Park. He needs a strong effort to ease doubts, most of all his own.

Cool thing happened in ‘meaningless’ Hawks game

Keaton Wallace recorded a triple-double for the Hawks during their victory against the Magic. Don’t discount that performance because both teams sent out “B” units with their Play-In seeds already determined (No. 8 Atlanta is at No. 7 Orlando on Tuesday). Instead, Wallace’s big day should be viewed as the capstone for a season in which several fringe players helped the Hawks (40-42) stay afloat as injuries threatened to sink them.

Wallace signed a two-way contract for this season (split between the NBA and G League) and ended up playing 501 minutes over 31 games for the Hawks. Wallace acquitted himself well as a passer (5.8 assists per 36 minutes) and defender (2.0 steals per 36). That was important for a team with no true backup point guard among the regulars.

The Hawks received positive contributions this season from three other players who were deep on their bench. Big man Mouhamed Gueye (33 games, 533 minutes) provided needed size and defense once coach Quin Snyder finally gave him the minutes he deserved. Forward Dominick Barlow (35 games, 375 minutes) had his moments over 35 games. Vit Krejci (44% 3-point shooting) proved he deserves a place in the league.

Those are important developments for the Hawks. They need relatively cheap players to fill in the gaps around their highly paid veterans. Trae Young’s “supermax” salary will be $46 million next season. Jalen Johnson will get a $25 million pay bump to $30 million. Terrance Mann, Onyeka Okongwu and Zaccharie Risacher will make $44 million combined.

Congratulations to Wallace for his triple-double (17 points, 11 rebounds, 15 assists). No other player on a two-way contract has ever pulled that off for the Hawks.

The game might have been meaningless in the context of playoff positioning, but it meant something for the Hawks to get winning contributions from players like Wallace this season.

Discordant times for Atlanta United

Atlanta United lost 1-0 to New England on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Revolution are a bad team, but they are just one point behind Atlanta United in the Eastern Conference.

So, what’s what with the Five Stripes? At 2-3-3, they are off to their worst eight-game start in franchise history, with nine points earned. Six of those matches were at home.

Here’s how fullback Brooks Lennon summed up his team’s performance Sunday: “Just not finishing our chances.” We’ve heard the same refrain all season from a team that spent a lot of money on players who are supposed to finish chances.

Defensive miscues are another repetitive theme. Against New England, it was a penalty by Emmanuel Latte Lath on what captain Brad Guzan called a “rash challenge.” New England’s Carles Gil converted the penalty kick in the 36th minute.

One goal was enough to beat Atlanta United again. They’ve been shut out three times.

Previously, Atlanta United’s worst eight-game start was 10 points during the 2020 season. They didn’t play for a trophy that season or in any since.

In 2020, Atlanta United could blame the poor start on a season-ending injury to elite goal scorer Josef Martínez during the opening game. Now, Atlanta United is scuffling with Designated Players Latte Lath, Miguel Almirón and Alexey Miranchuk all available.

We keep hearing from Atlanta United that those players eventually will develop rhythm and cohesiveness. I still believe that, but results are all that ultimately matter. They are away for the next two weeks for matches against teams above them in the standings (Philadelphia and Orlando).

Maybe Atlanta United will have things figured out by the time return to town to play Nashville on May 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That’s the Five Stripes’ only home game over the next five.

They’ll be in big trouble if we’re still talking about the lack of goal finishing and defensive miscues then.