Sale Silences Phillies Again as Braves Win 5-3
Chris Sale is 37 years old and still doing this to the Phillies.
The Atlanta left-hander was the difference-maker Tuesday night, turning in a dominant outing that anchored a 5-3 win over Philadelphia. Sale finished with 45.8 fantasy points, easily the best mark of the night, and set the tone early for an Atlanta offense that made just enough plays to hold off a Phillies lineup that had its chances.
Sale made sure the Phillies' bats stayed quiet when it mattered, and Atlanta's lineup did the rest.
Austin Riley was the engine of the offense, racking up 38.0 fantasy points with the kind of complete performance that reminds everyone why he hits in the middle of that order. Riley's damage came at every turn, and he got plenty of support from Ozzie Albies, who chipped in 29.5 fantasy points from the two-hole. Together, Riley and Albies did the heavy lifting for a Braves attack that didn't need to explode for ten runs — it just needed to be efficient behind its ace.
Michael Harris II added 22.8 fantasy points out of center field, continuing to look like a player trending in the right direction after Atlanta's uneven stretch against Miami and Cincinnati last week. The Braves had dropped three of their previous four before Tuesday, so this was as much about answering questions as it was about beating Philadelphia. Dylan Lee came out of the bullpen and was sharp, posting 15.5 fantasy points to bridge the gap and protect the lead, while Raisel Iglesias closed things out to lock down the win.
Philadelphia didn't go quietly. Jesús Luzardo matched Sale pitch for pitch for stretches, finishing with 31.5 fantasy points in a losing effort that deserved a better fate. Luzardo kept the Phillies within striking distance the whole way, but the offense behind him couldn't cash in enough. J.T. Realmuto was the best hitter in Philadelphia's lineup, putting up 19.5 fantasy points, and Alec Bohm added 11.5 as the middle of the order tried to manufacture something against Atlanta's arms. Kyle Schwarber chipped in 11.0 fantasy points, but the Phillies left too much on the table against Sale and couldn't find the big swing to flip the game.
Luzardo's performance was a positive sign for Philadelphia — he gave his team a chance — but the lineup behind him couldn't finish the job against Atlanta's ace.
For Atlanta, this is exactly the kind of response the manager wanted after alternating wins and losses over the last five games. Sale looked like the version of himself that makes lineups uncomfortable, and getting 38.0 fantasy points from Riley and 29.5 from Albies on the same night suggests the middle of the order is finding its footing early. If Harris keeps producing at his current level and the bullpen continues getting outings like Lee's, the Braves have the pieces to make an early statement in the division.
It's only Week 1, but early results shape expectations, and Atlanta just sent a message. Philadelphia will look to regroup and lean on Luzardo again soon, while the Braves will try to keep the momentum rolling behind Sale, Riley and Albies.
