At the time, Sale's most recent innings total of 102 2/3 innings was his highest in three seasons, as he had barely pitched in 2021-2022, and missed 2020 entirely. His ailments included rib and pinkie injuries, along with Tommy John Surgery. The Braves made a gamble that Sale would be his dominant pitching self without the issues that would keep him off the field, and boy, did it pay off.
Things were quiet for the first couple of innings until the third inning rolled around. That's when Marcell Ozuna led it off with a double that eluded Seiya Suzuki's glove in right field and went off the bricks below the Chop House. Immediately after Ozuna scampered to second with a double Arizona Fall League invitee Nacho Alvarez Jr. brought him home with a double of his own to break the deadlock in Atlanta's favor.
