{"id":48214,"date":"2025-04-14T12:17:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T12:17:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=48214"},"modified":"2025-04-14T12:17:29","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T12:17:29","slug":"thats-right-frustrated-chris-sale-blames-himself-for-sundays-loss-but-everyone-played-part-in-series-loss-to-rays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=48214","title":{"rendered":"THAT’S RIGHT!! Frustrated Chris Sale blames himself for Sunday\u2019s loss, but everyone played part in series loss to Rays"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Frustrated Chris Sale blames himself for Sunday\u2019s loss, but everyone played part in series loss to Rays<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale reacts after giving up an RBI single to Tampa Bay Rays’ Christopher Morel (not pictured) during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo\/Jason Behnken)<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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TAMPA \u2013 As he rounded the bases following his three-run bomb off Enyel De Los Santos, Tampa Bay\u2019s Junior Caminero pumped his arms and fists in celebration. In those moments, reality began to set in for the Braves.<\/p>\n

Another series loss.<\/p>\n

A wasted opportunity to build more momentum after a great series win over the rival Phillies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A tough flight to Toronto instead of a happy one.<\/p>\n

More questions and fewer answers.<\/p>\n

Caminero\u2019s home run sealed Atlanta\u2019s 8-3 loss to the Rays on Sunday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The Braves never led in the rubber match as Chris Sale struggled and the offense couldn\u2019t match Tampa Bay\u2019s outburst.<\/p>\n

In the early hours of Friday morning, the Braves arrived in Tampa off a thrilling walk-off victory over the Phillies in a rain-delayed game to take the series. This represented the most positive point of the young season for these Braves, who began 0-7 before earning their first victory. The Braves on Sunday had a chance to continue riding this wave and take it to Canada \u2013 and they had their ace, Chris Sale, on the mound.<\/p>\n

Then came a familiar theme: Not much can save the Braves right now.<\/p>\n

Not even Sale, the reigning National League Cy Young who dominated the sport last season but has a 6.63 ERA through four starts this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, frustrated would be a wild understatement,\u201d he said after giving up four runs (three earned) over 4 1\/3 innings on Sunday. \u201cI just hate sucking, and I\u2019m just bad.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

What can he point to that is off right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. Might be something you better ask the other team,\u201d Sale said. \u201cI don\u2019t know. I\u2019m just trying to compete and trying to throw strikes, and it\u2019s just not working.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

It seems the last part is most frustrating for Sale. If he had an answer, he would adjust. But he is left wondering what is happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ve ever been this frustrated. Honestly,\u201d Sale said. \u201cI mean, I feel like I\u2019m … against the wall right now and I\u2019m getting nothing out of it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Yandy Diaz led off the bottom of the first inning by homering off Sale. The lefty pitched himself into trouble multiple other times. He wasn\u2019t crisp. He gave up six hits and walked three batters.<\/p>\n

He also could\u2019ve had more help. Jarred Kelenic sailed a throw over first baseman Matt Olson\u2019s head as the Braves tried to double off a runner \u2013 and that runner advanced to third and eventually scored. Another time, Kelenic didn\u2019t make a throw home from shallow right field on a play in which he may have had a chance to nab the runner at home.<\/p>\n

Asked about these instances, Sale said: \u201cMistakes happen in this game. The last thing I\u2019d ever do is point a finger at a teammate for making a mistake. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any question who was the worst baseball player on that field today<\/p>\n

And for me to sit here and try to say something about someone else making a mistake \u2013 this is baseball, this is sports, people make mistakes. And if you take one person off that field, I think we have a much better chance of winning that game. And I think we all know who that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

He meant himself.<\/p>\n

Chris Sale.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s his M.O,\u201d Olson said of Sale\u2019s accountability. \u201cIt\u2019s the guy he is, it\u2019s the player he is. He\u2019s going to be the first one to stand up and say, \u2018My bad\u2019 even when we don\u2019t have a hit through five innings or whatever it was. So, it\u2019s not like we were out there giving him a bunch of run support and he was blowing the lead. He gave up three runs. He probably wouldn\u2019t say that it was his \u2018A\u2019 game if you asked him, but he gave us a chance to win. We didn\u2019t do anything for him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the other issue in all of this.<\/p>\n

The Braves aren\u2019t hitting well, which has meant their pitchers have needed to be almost perfect. Sale has not been sharp early in this season, a trend that continued in this game.<\/p>\n

And the bullpen couldn\u2019t hold the Rays long enough for the offense to punch one final time. The Braves would\u2019ve been swept here if not for Saturday\u2019s comeback victory fueled by four home runs.<\/p>\n

The Braves\u2019 plan is for Spencer Strider to start on Wednesday \u2013 his return from elbow surgery. And Spencer Schwellenbach starts Tuesday.<\/p>\n

That should give them a solid opportunity to win the series.<\/p>\n

Then again, nothing matters without an offense that can thrive with runners in scoring position and pile on runs. And right now, the Braves\u2019 lineup hasn\u2019t been consistent enough to inspire the type of confidence it once did.<\/p>\n

You used to look at those guys and wonder how an opposing pitcher would stop them. Now, you\u2019re often left perplexed at how they had no answer for a pitcher.<\/p>\n

This was the case Sunday, when Joe Boyle \u2013 starting in place of Shane Baz \u2013 spun five scoreless frames against the Braves. A year ago, Boyle had a 5.12 ERA and 39 walks over 45 2\/3 innings at Triple A. Indications are he\u2019s pitching much better this season. The Braves weren\u2019t much of a match.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, he was definitely a little more around the zone than I think what his numbers say,\u201d Olson said. \u201cGuys are going to come out and be different each given day, so you don\u2019t put too much weight into it. You know he\u2019s got the power heater, so you gotta be ready for that. And it looked like he made some good off-speed pitches.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The Braves are 4-11. Yes, they had more positives over the last week.<\/p>\n

But they\u2019re still the same number of games under .500 (seven) as they were when they started 0-7. At the time of Sunday\u2019s final out, the Braves were tied with the White Sox for the second-fewest victories in baseball. The Rockies only had three.<\/p>\n

The Braves shouldn\u2019t be in the same sentence with the White Sox and Rockies unless they\u2019re playing either of those teams.<\/p>\n

This series loss was deflating after the Braves beat Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, we just gotta win games. It\u2019s simple,\u201d Sale said. \u201cAnd today I did my best to not allow that to happen. As a whole, obviously we need to get things going. Just a frustrating day.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

His manager, Brian Snitker, put his thoughts like this:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glass half full because we\u2019ve got too much baseball to play. We\u2019ve seen it the last few years, we can turn this thing around and run off a good streak, too. So we just gotta hang in there and compartmentalize it and take it a day at a time and go out and win a game tomorrow.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

This is all Snitker can say. What else would you expect from him? No doubt, this has been a frustrating start. No one in that clubhouse is happy about it.<\/p>\n

But fans are valid to be upset. This team is too talented to struggle like this.<\/p>\n

In baseball, teams that lose are always grateful they\u2019re playing the next day. It might not resonate with fans \u2013 and understandably so. They want the Braves to win.<\/p>\n

Onto Toronto they go after this gut punch.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you want to keep winning series,\u201d Olson said. \u201cThat\u2019s the name of the game. That\u2019s the mindset we want to be in. Had a chance to and just got away there at the end. Really, that\u2019s the baseline of it. We gotta continue to try to win series. Get to Toronto, have a good series, bring it back home, get it rolling.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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Frustrated Chris Sale blames himself for Sunday\u2019s loss, but everyone played part in series loss to Rays   Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale reacts after giving up… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":48223,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nTHAT'S RIGHT!! 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