Chris Sale threw six innings tonight, gave up one run, struck out nine, walked nobody, and lost. Atlanta managed three hits in a 2-0 shutout.
The offense goes quiet more often on his days than anyone else’s.
- The Braves score two runs or fewer in 25 percent of all games this season, 31 of 122
- In Sale’s 22 starts, that rate is 41 percent, 9 of 22
- His average run support is 5.18, above the team’s 4.84 per game, which is why nobody notices
Why the average hides it
Nine starts of two runs or fewer sit next to nine of six or more. The mean lands in between and describes neither.
How much to trust it. A 9 of 22 rate against a 25 percent baseline lands at p equals 0.08. Suggestive, not proof. Twenty two starts is a small sample and splits like this regress.
One thing this does not control for is that Sale draws the other team’s best starter. Tonight it was Brandon Pfaadt, who threw seven shutout innings. Some of the 41 percent is who Atlanta is hitting against, not when.
Sources: MLB Stats API, regular season games only, pulled August 14, 2026.