Braves’ Chris Sale reaches 2,500 strikeouts faster than any pitcher in MLB history

Atlanta Braves starter Chris Sale reached 2,500 strikeouts, faster than any pitcher in MLB history, during the team’s 9-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday night at Citizen Bank Park. 

Sale, 36, struck out Phillies’ third baseman Edmundo Sosa with his signature wipeout slider to end the sixth inning.

Sale surpassed the 2,500-strikeout mark in 2,026 innings, breaking the record of 2,107⅔ innings set by Randy Johnson.

Sale pitched six shutout innings, yielded only two hits and three walks and struck out eight batters in the win. 

Sale became the 40th pitcher in major league history to reach 2,500 strikeouts, joining Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer as the only active pitchers to have reached that plateau.

The eight-time All-Star won his first career Cy Young with the Braves last season while leading the National League with 225 strikeouts.

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Sale spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Chicago White Sox and was traded to the Boston Red Sox. Sale was an integral part of the 2018 Red Sox team that won the World Series. 

Sale spent six seasons with the Red Sox before they traded him to the Braves prior to the beginning of the 2024 season.

The Phillies and Braves played a doubleheader and split it. The Phillies won the first game, 5-4, before the Braves bounced back behind Sale’s strong outing. 

The Braves (26-29) begin a three-game series with the Red Sox (27-31) Friday at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Phillies (36-20) begin a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers (29-28) Friday at 6:45 p.m. ET. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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