The Philadelphia Phillies have the tough task of facing Chris Sale. Interim manager Don Mattingly, a once-great left-handed hitter with the Yankees, was asked what his approach against the Atlanta Braves ace would be.
Mattingly folded his hands together in a praying motion, to chuckles from the Phillies beat, before giving a verbal response.
“That type of guy, you got to try to give something and take something,” Mattingly told 94 WIP’s Dave Uram. “His angle and everything, velocity, link to the sweep, and all that, you got to give or take.”
(via: @MrUram)
Asked if he’d faced someone like that in his career, Mattingly immediately pointed to Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. The Phillies interim manager had some success against Johnson, going 16-for-42 (.381) at the plate.
Phillies’ Don Mattingly on Facing Chris Sale
The Phillies start a stretch of 10 games that could decide their National League East hopes. Seven of those games are against Atlanta. However, the first game may be the most difficult to navigate, with a red-hot Chris Sale on the mound.
Sale has been very difficult on left-handed hitters for his career. He’s limited them to a .203/.257/.286 slash over 1,718 plate appearances. And he’s not facing your run-of-the-mill lefty at the plate either.
The 37-year-old throws from a sidearm angle, which is downright tough for left-handed hitters. That is a much different release point than hitters anticipate for a southpaw on the mound.
“You have to understand where the ball has to start to be a strike,” said Mattingly. “A breaking ball, if it starts anywhere middle-in, it’s probably not going to be a strike. But you got to be geared for the two-seamer, the sink in there, he can also four (seam) it up.
“These guys with a big angle, it’s where you start the ball. You have to start it at different spots to get strikes. You take your approach and go from there.”
The Phillies will certainly limit the number of left-handed hitters in their lineup. Justin Crawford, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh are out of the lineup. But they’ll still start three left-handed hitters: Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Luis Arraez.
All three hitters were National League All-Stars in 2026.
Chris Sale vs. Cristopher Sanchez Duel Kicks Off Phillies vs. Braves Series
The series opener between the Braves and Phillies will certainly be one of the most anticipated games to watch. Two potential National League Cy Young Award finalists will square off between Chris Sale and Cristopher Sanchez.
Bleacher Report is already hyping up this matchup, predicting this to be the deciding game for the division.
The two pitchers have had success in previous matchups against each other. Matt Gelb of The Athletic notes that this will be the third matchup between the two lefties. Sanchez has allowed one earned run in 13 innings. Sale has allowed two earned runs in 13 innings.
Phillies started the season 2-11 vs. LH SP and are 25-11 in last 36 games vs. LH SP.
This series should carry a postseason feel, as the National League East is still up for grabs. The Braves lead by four games, but the Phillies can erase that deficit in a heartbeat. CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa predicted Philadelphia to win three of four in the series.
Phillies Manager Don Mattingly Gives Hilarious Response on Facing Chris Sale