Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale showcased a rare display of triple-digit velocity on Thursday, throwing a fastball exceeding 100 mph for the first time since 2018 during a dominant 1-0 shutout victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sale, 37, struck out 11 batters and walked none, marking his first complete-game shutout since June 5, 2019. His performance placed him in an exclusive group of pitchers at 37 years and 150 days old to achieve at least 10 strikeouts and no walks in a shutout. According to MLB statistician Sarah Langs, Sale joins Hall of Famers Cy Young, Eddie Plank, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, and Randy Johnson as the only pitchers to accomplish this feat at that age or older since 1900.
When asked by the Braves' broadcast how he managed to throw a 100 mph fastball, Sale offered a concise and humorous response: “With my arm.”
The game featured a notable duel between Sale and Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. In the third inning, Sale's 100.1 mph fastball was fouled off by Ohtani. Two pitches later, Ohtani swung and missed at a slider for the strikeout. Sale also struck out Ohtani in the fifth inning with a 99.6 mph fastball thrown high in the strike zone.
This season, Sale has made 24 starts, posting a 2.06 earned run average over 144 innings pitched and recording 177 strikeouts.
