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Generally, when players are annoyed with themselves, they take out their frustrations on something else. Not Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale.
During the fourth inning of the Braves’ 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night at Angel Stadium, Sale pounded the baseball off his head out of anger.
Sale, 37, threw a slider well outside the strike zone to Angels first baseman Jeimer Candelario to walk the bases loaded with no out while the game was tied 1-1. Braves catcher Drake Baldwin tossed the ball back to Sale, who caught with his bare hand instead of his glove, dropped the ball, picked it up and slammed it against his head.
Sale’s frustrations only grew as the inning grew longer. Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe worked a walk one batter after Candelario, forcing in a run to give the Angels a 2-1 lead.
The Angels rally continued two batters later when Sale hit designated hitter Yoan Moncada with a pitch to force in another run, making it 3-1. After drilling Moncada, Sale bent over, putting his hands on his knees, before walking behind the pitcher’s mound to pick up the rosin bag, only to spike it into the ground.
The nine-time All-Star pitcher’s nightmare of a fourth inning continued when he induced a weak ground ball from center fielder Bryce Teodosio, but it was perfectly placed between shortstop Mauricio Dubon and third baseman Austin Riley.
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Dubon did well by diving to keep the ball in the infield, but another run scored, giving the Angels a 4-1 lead.
Sale escaped the fourth inning without further damage but allowed a two-run home run in the fifth inning to Jo Adell, giving the Angels a 6-1 lead.
The two-time Cy Young winner was removed from the game afterward. Sale pitched four innings, allowing six runs on five hits, two walks, and striking out seven.
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Sale came into the game with a good track record against the Angels. In 11 games he had an 8-0 record with a 1.24 ERA, but had no such success on Monday.
In three starts this season, Sale is 2-1 with a 3.94 ERA in 16 innings pitched.
The Braves (6-5) will look to bounce back when they play the Angels (6-5) in the second game of their three-game series on Tuesday at 9:38 p.m. ET.
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