NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 5, 2026

Chris Sale

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Chris, what was the conversation like yesterday? And as you watched the game unfold, how satisfying was it to see what Ray Kerr and Fuentes did and just to know now you're in a pretty good position? Just kind of take us through the day yesterday.

CHRIS SALE: I think -- we obviously, this team, what makes us successful and what keeps our bond together is our trust and faith in each other. That obviously starts at the top with Alex in the front office and kind of trickles down through our coaching staff and everybody.

Again, what Ray's done this postseason has been incredible. So having him start a game, like I said, just gives us the ultimate confidence, and then everybody in that bullpen stepping up, guys getting put in situations they haven't been in, coming into a game in innings that they haven't pitched in typically.

Then obviously Didi coming in and doing what he did, that was incredible. And then vintage Iggy coming in and slamming the door. To seal a win on the road was huge for us.

Q. Did you go -- did you have your conversation with Walt hoping you would be able to pitch yesterday, or did you know there was a chance, hey, look, this might be best for me to go back? How aggressive were you with your lobbying?

CHRIS SALE: I told him I was available. I told him even if they needed me for Game 1, which I knew was probably a stretch -- again, like I said, the work that I put in, the work that our training staff and our strength coaches put in to get me to this position, I felt confident in my ability to go out there and be able to perform at a high level.

I really felt confident in myself in starting Game 2. I reiterated that plenty of times to them. Again, this is a team game. This isn't about me, this isn't about one guy.

At the end of the day, I think, the conversation was two days ago in Game 1, after Game 1 there was another conversation, and they want to have -- if they want to tell you what was going on in those conversations, I'll leave it to them.

Again, you get to this time of the year, and again, it's all hands on deck. It's everybody doing everything they can to get one out, to get a run, to get a base runner. I think, again, that's who our team is and that's what everybody in here is willing to do.

Q. To continue on what you said about Didi, you said after Game 1 in the Wild Card series, anyone who's watched a game this season knows what he's capable of doing. Knowing what he did as a rookie against the back-to-back defending World Series champions on that stage, just how much more does that show just what he's done this season?

CHRIS SALE: I think it shows the importance that he brings to this staff and to the team. To your point, like I said, we're not here without our bullpen. Anyone that's watched the Atlanta Braves play this year knows that our bullpen has stepped up massively.

He's one of the biggest arms, biggest guys out there who's done it. He's covered a lot of innings in the bullpen, high-leverage innings. He'll go out for multiple innings.

Like I said, the selflessness, the willingness to do whatever it takes for the team, that couldn't have shown more last night. And not only what he did, but with Dylan coming out and covering multiple outs, Ray starting on short rest -- you know, our bullpen's probably averaging about 12 beats per minute. Just the calm, cool, collectedness of that group out there, the ice water in the veins, all the things you could possibly say about guys that just don't panic and just get the job done, that's what that group is.

Q. Chris, you saw Acuna at his best in late August, September. Star players sometimes struggle in the postseason. How confident are you that he's going to get back on a roll here, just have that moment you've seen in the past?

CHRIS SALE: Absolutely. I think any time you see someone go through something like that, you feel for them because you almost feel like they're trying to do too much or putting too much pressure on themselves.

We just need Ronald to be Ronald. I'll be honest, 50 percent of him is better than most. Again, going -- I think going back home might alleviate a little bit of that pressure, being in front of our home fans, and just staying loose. Again, I think you get into these situations, and sometimes you try to do more.

I think we have all the confidence in the world, not only in him, but up and down our lineup and our roster. It obviously hasn't come yet, but it's coming soon. Again, we all have confidence in him to go out there. He can change a game with one swing of the bat, and that's really all it takes this time of the year.

You don't have to hit .400 in the postseason to be a hero. Sometimes it's just one game or it's one swing or it's one play. I feel like that's brewing for him.

Q. How about the Robert Suarez you saw last night? Is that pretty close to who he was the first three months of the season before the elbow became an issue?

CHRIS SALE: Absolutely. I'll be honest, it even looks like -- it's scary to say this, but it looks a tick better than what it looked like those first few months. His change-up looks like a split finger. His cutter is better than most fastballs, and his fastball looked like a tick or two better than what I've seen, consistently kind of being at that 101-, 100-mile-an-hour mark, coming in first and second, nobody out.

Again, I think it just speaks to the character and just the competitors that we have out there. Just stone-faced -- gets one out, gets two outs, gets the third out, just like he was supposed to.

Like I said, we're not here without our bullpen. Any time that phone rings out there, we're confident in who's running out of that door.

Q. You came out of the pen a couple times in the postseason in 2018 with Boston. I know that's a while ago, but is there anything from that experience that you can -- that you learned from that and can apply this year to being able to bounce back and be fresh in both roles?

CHRIS SALE: I think it just reiterates the all-hands-on-deck mentality. It's really where I learned it. I've never been in the postseason before I got to Boston. When you get there and you're around winners and that mentality and that kind of culture, you see what winning at all costs looks like.

I even got a text from AC that night of Game 3 of the Wild Card game, and even just getting a text from him was awesome because he was someone I learned a lot from as a manager. Talk about a winning mentality and all hands on deck and just the love for your teammates, the willingness to sacrifice yourself to do whatever it is for the team.

Again, not only him, but I've talked to him a lot this year. I've talked to even Sandy Leon a lot this year. The conversation just always kind of comes back to the feeling we have with this team is a very similar feeling I have to that '18 Red Sox team.

We have a lot of work to do. It's not over yet. You can't start getting ahead of yourself, but we're confident in who we have in our clubhouse, and we're confident moving forward.

Q. Last time you faced the Dodgers a little over a month ago, went the distance. Obviously postseason baseball is different, but how much stock do you take from that performance and your game plan against them?

CHRIS SALE: Baseball is a crazy game where anything can change on a given day. You want to have confidence not only in yourself but in your team. What you did yesterday means nothing in this game for today or tomorrow.

I'm a firm believer as soon as you think you got it right where you want it, it's going to be gone, and very much so on the flip side. If you think it's gone, you might be able to get it.

I have too much respect for the game of baseball, I've got too much respect for those guys on the other side of the field to think, because of a previous experience, that the next one was going to be anything other than a grind.

Like you said, this is playoff baseball. That's a helluva team across the way. I'm just preparing for another grind. I'm preparing for another battle and just got to go leave it all on the field. However it shakes out, that's how it shakes out.

Q. At some point during the series, likely again we'll see Tyler Mahle pitch. Last time he went out there, pitched seven with an abdominal pull. What does it say about him that he was able to go out there, given the circumstances, and continue that post-deadline success into his first postseason start?

CHRIS SALE: I think that says a lot about him as a competitor, his character. Again, I feel like I sound like a broken record, but it just speaks to who -- what our culture in that clubhouse is. He very easily could have just pulled the chute and said, I got this, I got that, whatever it is. It was, No, like it's my go, it's my turn, and I'm posting for the boys.

Any time you have -- you're dealing with anything, it's tough to go out there. I have a lot of experience with that. Specifically in the postseason against a great team, to do what he did -- again, it speaks volumes about who he is as a teammate and as a competitor. But that's just -- it's the culture of the Atlanta Braves and who we are and what we bring to the table. That's why I love being here.

Q. When you faced Shohei in August, you hit 100 miles. What did it tell you? Do you feel physically perfect or mechanics perfect? How did that happen, 100 miles?

CHRIS SALE: I've said this a lot, I think because of the people I have in my corner, there's a lot of -- I have a lot of help in between starts getting prepared, getting me ready for starts, trying to feel healthy.

George and his staff in the training room have done an unbelievable job, especially Brad and his guys in the weight room. I'm thankful for those guys to be able to put me in the position to do this.

Obviously I pride myself in working hard and taking care of myself, but it would be crazy for me to think I could do this by myself.

Again, you get into either the postseason or a big spot in the game, you have a lot of adrenaline. Our fans in Atlanta are amazing. I'm very thankful for them. You get into a spot, especially against a great opponent, it's go time. I'm a firm believer of leaving everything you have out on the field. There's no reason to save anything, especially this time of year.

You put all that together, and sometimes you can get that out of it.

Q. Also, you mentioned at the time, because of maybe Shohei could be a factor. Did you say that? It could be a factor?

CHRIS SALE: Yeah, again, who you're facing, the situation you're in, there's a lot of different factors that go into it. I don't think I'm going to be hitting 100 in a Spring Training bullpen or in an off-season bullpen. I do get competitive with my kids in the backyard with some Wiffle ball games. I'll bring some heat there.

Again, you get the crowd into it, you get adrenaline going, who you're facing, the situation you're in in the game sometimes calls for putting your best foot forward.