The Atlanta Braves have made a change to their pitching rotation, moving All-Star left-hander Chris Sale’s start by a day to set up an exciting matchup against Arizona Diamondbacks’ right-hander Zac Gallen. Sale, who is tied for the major league lead in victories with an 11-3 record and a 2.71 ERA, will face off against Gallen, who finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting last season with a 6-4 record and a 3.06 ERA.
Originally slated to start on Monday, Sale was replaced by right-hander Bryce Elder, who was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett and pitched well, throwing five-plus innings of three-run ball. The decision to push Sale’s start back was made to give the team’s pitchers an extra day of rest heading into the All-Star break, according to Braves manager Brian Snitker.
The Braves are coming off a thrilling 5-4, 11-inning victory against the Diamondbacks in the series opener, where Sean Murphy hit a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning off Arizona’s closer, Paul Sewald. Despite Sewald’s recent struggles with blown saves, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo has expressed confidence in him and stated that Sewald will remain the team’s closer.
Sale, who has experienced a career resurgence this season, has been dominant on the mound, ranking sixth in the majors in strikeouts with 127 and eighth in ERA. The 35-year-old left-hander has earned his eighth All-Star selection after battling injuries that sidelined him for significant portions of previous seasons.
In his most recent outings, Sale has been impressive, allowing two or fewer runs in 11 of his last 12 starts. However, he did have a rough outing against the Oakland Athletics on June 1, surrendering eight runs in four innings. Despite this, Sale has a solid track record against the Diamondbacks, boasting a 2-0 record with a 2.53 ERA in three career games against them.
On the other side, Gallen will be taking the mound for the Diamondbacks after missing nearly a month due to a hamstring injury. In his last start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Gallen gave up three runs and four hits over four innings in a no-decision. The right-hander has had success against the Braves in the past, holding a 2-0 record with a 2.45 ERA in four career starts against them.
As the Braves and Diamondbacks prepare to face off in what promises to be an exciting pitching duel, fans can expect a competitive matchup between two talented pitchers vying for a crucial win for their teams.