In this week’s wild-card showdown between the Braves and Phillies, where Atlanta prevailed in three games, Chris Sale was a workhorse.

In Game 1, Sale posted playoff career highs with 6 ⅓ innings and nine strikeouts.

On his throw day, which fell two days later in the deciding Game 3, Sale recorded the last four outs to help the Braves clinch their first playoff series win over the Phillies.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale points to the crowd after Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in Atlanta. AP Photo/Brynn Anderson

It turns out Sale was the one who set the wheels in motion to appear in Game 3.

Manager Walt Weiss originally had no such plans.

“I was not going to go to Chris Sale and ask him if he could pitch tonight,” Weiss told reporters. “I didn’t want to put him in that position because I knew that even if he was hanging, he would tell me yes. So, I was not going to bring it up.

“But literally as soon as I stepped into my office this afternoon, he was sitting in the chair across from my desk, and he looked at me, and he said, ‘I feel amazing.’ I said, ‘Well, let’s talk.’

Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss (22) takes the ball from pitcher Chris Sale against the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh inning during Game 1 on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Atlanta. AP Photo/Brynn Anderson

“I told him there was a good chance he was going to get the top of the order at some point in the eighth or ninth. It worked out that way. Was hoping he only had to go one, but he had to get to four outs. But what a warrior, man. This guy — I’ve run out of superlatives for Chris Sale.”

Sale threw 95 pitches on Tuesday and 21 on Thursday, so after the elimination game win, Weiss was unsure about Sale’s status for a potential NLDS Game 2 start against the Dodgers on Sunday.

“It was all about tonight,” Weiss said after the win.