Braves' Austin Riley sends clear message to Chris Sale, Robert Suarez after win over Phillies originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Atlanta Braves are off to a strong start this season, and there are no signs of them slowing down. They have yet to lose a series and just secured one against NL East rival the Philadelphia Phillies. Starter Chris Sale looked sharp despite his slider metrics not being as strong early in the season.

“On average, in an admittedly small sample, Sale's slider is getting significantly less movement both on the vertical and horizontal axes. The pitch is still moving enough to be passable, but losing multiple inches in both directions is rough. The results speak for themselves as opposing hitters are hitting .286 against the slider when they previously would be hitting well below .200 (.143 in 2025 and .171 in 2024, just to give a couple of data points),” HTHB’s Eric Cole wrote.

Sale delivered a strong outing, and Robert Suarez came in to close the door in the ninth inning.

“For those wondering why Robert Suarez is getting the save situation and not Raisel Iglesias, it's possible that it's the fact that Bryce Harper (who leads off B9) is 6-12 with four homers and five RBI off of Iggy,” Braves Today’s Lindsay Crosby posted.

The Braves secured a 3-1 win, continuing their impressive start to the season. After the game, third baseman Austin Riley praised the team and emphasized how dominant the pitching has been.

“We're playing complete baseball. It's a different guy every night coming up in big situations... And our pitching staff has been unbelievable,” Riley said.

The pitching staff has been nothing short of phenomenal as Atlanta continues to build momentum in the NL East. Sale and Reynaldo López dominated on the mound, which comes as no surprise.

Last season, pitching inconsistencies held the Braves back. This year, it appears that strength could carry them deep into the season. Riley’s comments only reinforce just how dominant this staff has been.

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