Strip Sale Out. Tell Me What You See.

Chris Sale is this franchise.

This morning, Ellis wrote 750 words asking whether the 55-40 record or the 10-19 stretch is the real Braves. Thoughtful. Measured. Fair.

Here's my answer. Seven innings. Two hits. Zero runs. Six strikeouts.

Sale walked into Truist Park and made the Rangers look like a travel ball team. The Braves hung 15 on the board. Baldwin launched a 419-foot three-run shot. Olson went 420 for his 26th. Riley hit his first homer in over a month. Nineteen hits total. The whole lineup remembered how to play baseball at the same time.

Now strip Sale out and tell me what you see.

Four rotation arms on the IL. A pitching staff held together with athletic tape and denial. The team Ellis diagnosed this morning — a .500 club in a first-place costume. Sale isn't the ace. He's the entire difference between a 56-win club and the team that went 10-19 and made the Phillies believe.

I told you yesterday ESPN gave the Braves 6.7% championship odds. Tonight Sale threw a two-hit shutout through seven and the offense dropped 15. One man. A 2.07 ERA. Holding it all together through sheer refusal.

I was at 72% on the Braves yesterday. Moving to 80. Not because of 15 runs against the Rangers. Because Sale reminded me why the number was ever above 50.

Tell me I'm wrong.