Hopefully if Chris Sale has another good start, his lineup will back him up this time around.
Following a wonderful performance from AJ Smith-Shawver in the series opener against the Cincinnati Reds, Chris Sale is looking to pick up where both he and Smith-Shawver left off in order to keep the good times rolling on the mound for the Atlanta Braves.
Just one night after AJ Smith-Shawver pitched eight one-hit shutout innings against the Reds, Chris Sale will be looking to keep pace with the rookie while also improving upon his most recent start. It was only a few days ago when Sale pitched seven innings while only giving up two runs and striking out 10 Rockies batters. It was a true testament to how frustrating this season has been for Sale so far that he ended up coming out of that game as the loser since Atlanta’s lineup got bamboozled by Chase Dollander. Maybe tonight will finally be the moment where the stars align and Chris Sale is able to put a great start together while getting plenty of run support from his teammates in the field.
In order for that to happen, the Braves are going to have to figure out a way to push some runs past Andrew Abbott. That’s been a lot easier said than done for teams here in the early going of the season, as Abbott has given up one earned run or fewer in three of the four starts that he’s made so far. While he’s been tough to deal with while he’s out there, that’s just it — he hasn’t been out there for too long in any of his starts. His longest start so far here in 2025 was when he made it through six innings against the Orioles back on April 18. Other than that, he’s usually done after four or five innings and as far as his past two starts go, they’ve both been four-inning affairs.
A common link between his two most recent starts has been his penchant for giving out walks. It got him in trouble against the Rockies, as Colorado put four runs on the board against him off of five hits and five walks. He was able to escape getting punished by the Cardinals in his most recent outing, which is when he only gave up one unearned run despite walking four batters. If the Braves are going to make something happen against Abbott, they’ll have to capitalize on any free passes that he hands out. I’d imagine that Marcell Ozuna (baseball’s current leader in walk rate at 22.1 percent) and Matt Olson (second place in walk rate at 18.2 percent) could both have a fruitful night if Abbott (15.2 percent walk rate) continues to walk people at the level that he’s done so far.
If the pitching matchup plays out like it’s supposed to on paper, then the Braves should have the upper hand in this one. Hopefully, Chris Sale has finally found that groove that he’s been searching for for nearly the entire month of April. If he picks up where he left off in Colorado and follows the tone that AJ Smith-Shawver set during Monday night’s series opener, then the Braves could be in good shape. The lineup just has to figure out a way to keep Andrew Abbott from getting comfortable while punishing any walks that he may end up giving out. A series split is certainly feasible and attainable for the Braves in this one and hopefully they’ll just get that out of the way with a win tonight.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, May 6, 7:15 p.m. EDT
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV: FanDuel Sports Network South / Southeast
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM