NEW YORK — Chris Sale has become the Atlanta Braves’ cut-rate ace.
A Major League Baseball All-Star for seven straight seasons (2012-18), he won just 17 games over the next five and was jettisoned by the Boston Red Sox to Atlanta last winter along with $17 million to cover most of his salary.
After being offloaded for a bargain basement price as if some outlet store markdown, Sale joined pitchers Seth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals and Ranger Suárez of the Philadelphia Phillies as the only 10-game winners so far this MLB season with the Braves’ 8-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night.
“I think he’s back to where he was,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Atlanta improved to 42-31 overall and won for the seventh time in eight games after a five-game losing streak.