Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale returned from the 60-day injured list for a strong start Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Sale, a nine-time All-Star, struck out nine and gave up three hits in six innings. His only blemish came on Weston Wilson's solo homer in the third.
But Trea Turner hit a two-run single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Phillies to a 3-2 win over the Braves.
The reigning National League Cy Young winner, Sale had been out since suffering a fractured left rib cage in June when he dove to field a grounder. He had pitched 4â…” innings in his third and most recent rehab start at Triple-A last week.
Sale's return ended a stretch since late July in which all of the Braves' Opening Day starters had been on the injured list. Atlanta has stumbled to a 61-75 record and is set to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Sale, 36, is 5-4 and has a 2.45 ERA in 15 starts this season. He won the pitching Triple Crown in his first season in Atlanta in 2024, finishing with an NL high in wins (18) and strikeouts (225) and a league-low ERA of 2.38.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.