Chris Sale's 11-K shutout leads Braves to sweep of Dodgers

Chris Sale delivered a masterful complete-game shutout on Thursday, striking out 11 batters to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers and complete a three-game sweep at Truist Park. The win, secured on a first-inning home run by Drake Baldwin, marked the Braves' first sweep of the Dodgers since May 2013 and tightened the National League playoff race.

Sale, 37, was dominant throughout, allowing just five hits and walking none on a season-high 109 pitches. He retired the final 10 batters he faced after Freddie Freeman singled to lead off the ninth inning, ending the game by striking out Alex Call. The performance was Sale's first complete game since June 5, 2019, and his fourth career shutout. He threw 80 of his pitches for strikes, consistently attacking the Dodgers' lineup.

A key moment came in the third inning when Sale unleashed a 100.1 mph fastball to strike out Shohei Ohtani, marking the first time he had reached triple digits on a pitch since 2018. He struck out Ohtani again in the fifth inning. The outing was historically significant, as Sale became only the sixth pitcher since 1900 to record 10 or more strikeouts without a walk in a shutout...