Sale was magnificent against the defending champions, racking up 20 whiffs while throwing 80 of 109 pitches for strikes. The veteran left-hander logged his first complete game and first shutout since 2019, and it was also just the ninth complete-game shutout by an MLB pitcher this season. Sale entered the contest on a three-game losing streak despite tossing three quality starts during that span, so he took matters in his own hands and got back into the win column even with just one run of support from Atlanta's offense. He's been one of the top hurlers in baseball during his 16th big-league campaign, ranking second among qualified starters with a 2.06 ERA, sixth with a 1.00 WHIP and seventh with 177 strikeouts over 144 innings spanning 24 starts.

Matched up against Jacob Misiorowski in a battle of NL Cy Young contenders, Sale delivered his 16th quality start of the season on 94 pitches (68 strikes), but the veteran southpaw didn't get enough offensive support to avoid the loss. Sale has reeled off six straight quality starts since the All-Star break, posting a 2.19 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and stunning 49:3 K:BB in 37 innings over that stretch. Despite those impressive numbers, he'll look to snap a three-start losing streak in his next outing, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Rockies.