Dodgers forcing Braves to make tough decision

And now we current the forecast for the Atlanta Braves, introduced to you by Yogi Berra: It will get late early on the market.

The Dodgers can cloud the outlook for anybody. The Braves left Dodger Stadium in an uneasy spot Saturday, with one big decision to make: Do they risk placing themselves in the uncomfortable place of dealing with three consecutive elimination video games without utilizing their best pitcher in the first two video games of this National League Division Series, or do they start Chris Sale on Sunday?

“We’re expecting to see him,” Dodgers infielder Tommy Edman said.

The Dodgers have 4 aces. The Braves have one.

“We’ve got the ace of all aces in Chris Sale,” Braves pitcher Brent Suter said.

So why had been the Braves publicly noncommittal about utilizing him?

The Braves deployed him Thursday, for the ultimate 4 outs of the deciding recreation of the wild-card spherical. He began and pitched into the seventh inning on Tuesday.

The 4 days between begins is conventional — as is throwing once between begins, albeit usually in a pregame workout — but the 37-year-old Sale has not performed that since April.

“The deciding factor is always going to be how Chris is feeling,” Atlanta supervisor Walt Weiss said. “When we came in the other night, the first words out of his mouth were ‘I feel amazing.’ If he were to come in [Sunday] morning and say ‘I feel amazing,’ there’s a chance he pitches.”

Sale, a 10-time All-Star, posted a 2.16 earned-run average this season, trailing only projected Cy Young winners Jacob Misiorowski and Cam Schlittler. In two appearances against the Dodgers, he posted a 1.13 ERA, with no walks and 18 strikeouts in 16 innings.

“He’s the ace over there, and we’re ready to see him two times this series, regardless of whether he is starting or coming out of the bullpen,” Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas said. “We all know he’s going to be on the market at some level.

“If it’s [Sunday], we will likely be prepared. If it’s Game 3, we will likely be prepared. If it’s [Sunday] out of the ‘pen, we will be ready.”

Weiss should be concerned. If he is, he would not publicly admit to it.

“To me, it’s not that big a deal when he pitches,” Weiss said. “He’s going to pitch in this series.

“Dodgers can’t win it in two.”

The Braves risk overthinking this. If Sale begins Sunday, he also might start on conventional relaxation in a potential Game 5. If the Braves maintain him back until Game 3, he presumably wouldn’t start a potential Game 5 on two days’ relaxation.

So, if the Braves get that far, would they need to restrict Sale to, say, 4 outs?

“Even if he throws Game 3, I think he’s still available for Game 5 in some way, shape, or form,” Weiss said.

The Dodgers might push Yoshinobu Yamamoto to Game 3 because they’d Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell to start the first two video games. Money buys you the best of choices.

The Braves’ most doubtless choices for Game 2, if Sale doesn’t start: a second consecutive bullpen recreation, or Grant Holmes, 30, a Dodgers first-round draft choose in 2014, and three years later, half of a three-prospect bundle despatched to the Oakland Athletics for Rich Hill and Josh Reddick.

The approach Weiss seems to be at it, he can win three out of the next 4 video games with his top two starters (Sale and Tyler Mahle) yet to be used, and all his high-leverage relievers recent.

The approach we glance at it, who says the collection extends to 4 or 5 video games? The Braves either attempt to win with Sale on Sunday, or risk needing to sweep three video games began by Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Skubal, in that order. Wouldn’t be prudent.

“We know Sale is their best pitcher,” Rojas said. “So we are ready for him, at some point.”

That level needs to be Sunday, a little after 5 p.m.