The Atlanta Braves kicked off their 2025 spring training campaign much like they hope to begin their regular season behind a strong performance from Chris Sale on the mound. The veteran left-hander made quick work of his two-inning outing, retiring all six batters he faced with ease as the Braves opened Grapefruit League play against the Twins.
Sale wasted no time settling in, looking every bit like his dominant self. He threw 21 pitches, 14 of which were strikes, and while radar readings varied slightly clocking his fastball anywhere between 93.8 mph and 94.7 mph it was safe to say he was hitting his spots with confidence. The only minor footnote in an otherwise stellar start was the absence of a strikeout, but given how smoothly he dispatched hitters, the Braves will be more than satisfied with his outing. The main hope moving forward is that Sale can maintain this level of performance while staying healthy throughout spring training.
Following Sale, Bryce Elder took over and delivered another strong two-inning performance, adding a pair of strikeouts while allowing just one hit. His solid effort built on the momentum, keeping the Braves in control early on.
Angel Perdomo continued the streak with a clean inning of his own, but the shutout came to an end when Dylan Dodd took the mound in the sixth. After an initial flyout, a soft single by Harrison Bader set the stage for trouble. Kala’i Rosario followed with a double, and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. While Dodd managed to get two outs, he couldn’t escape the jam, surrendering a two-run single to Luke Keaschall that put the Twins ahead. He managed to stop the bleeding to close the inning, but it was certainly a rough outing for him.
On the offensive side, only two expected regulars Jarred Kelenic and Sean Murphy were in the lineup. Kelenic started strong with a leadoff double but was left stranded, finishing the day 1-for-3. Murphy, meanwhile, went hitless in his two plate appearances before exiting the game. After Murphy was pulled, Drake Baldwin stepped in as catcher and reached base once via a walk in the seventh. Nacho Alvarez Jr. also finished hitless before being replaced by Eddy Alvarez. The lone bright spot in the Braves’ scoring effort came in the third inning when Nick Allen drove in Carlos D. Rodriguez with an RBI single off Justin Topa, marking Atlanta’s only run of the game.
Despite a solid pitching start, the Braves ultimately fell 3-1 to the Twins. While the loss isn’t ideal, it’s far from concerning in the grand scheme of spring training. The real takeaway was the strong early performances from key arms like Sale and Elder. Looking ahead, the Braves will host the Rays tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. ET, with Ian Anderson set to take the mound in a crucial start as he competes for a rotation spot.
