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Chris Sale Dominates as Braves Beat Phillies 6-2

By Drooid · Oct 2, 2026, 4:31 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Chris Sale Clinches Win

Chris Sale pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and three strikeouts, to clinch a 6-2 Game 3 win.
Sale threw 21 pitches, gave up no walks, and felt amazing after volunteering to pitch.
The relief appearance came two days after Sale’s Game 1 start, where he threw 95 pitches and struck out nine.
Ray Kerr threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings in the series opener and is expected in the NLDS.

Summary

Braves Secure Primetime

The decisive Game 3 started at 8:15 p.m. ET after other wild-card outcomes set the night slot.
NBC aired the Thursday night matchup nationally, the series’ only primetime broadcast.
The Braves entered the series with a 94-68 record, while the Phillies were 88-74.
Atlanta held a 9-4 regular-season advantage over Philadelphia.
Tyler Mahle posted a 1.99 ERA in 54 1/3 innings for Atlanta and will be a free agent after the season.

History

Historical Context

In 1995, after the 1994 strike cancelled the World Series, the Atlanta Braves won their first championship in Atlanta, beating the Cleveland Indians 4–2 in a series NBC aired with a 19.5 national rating. That primetime exposure created a template for later postseason games, including today’s Game 3 where Chris Sale’s relief for the Braves against the Phillies is again shown on NBC.

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Chris Sale Clinches Win

Chris Sale pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and three strikeouts, to clinch a 6-2 Game 3 win.
Sale threw 21 pitches, gave up no walks, and felt amazing after volunteering to pitch.
The relief appearance came two days after Sale’s Game 1 start, where he threw 95 pitches and struck out nine.
Ray Kerr threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings in the series opener and is expected in the NLDS.

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