Atlanta's Chris Sale Is Unbeatable Right Now, and the Cubs Can't Stop the Sweep

The Atlanta Braves are doing something nobody thought was possible after last year's disaster. They reached 30 wins faster than any team in baseball in 2026, and now they're about to put the finishing touches on a sweep of the Chicago Cubs. We're talking about a team that didn't hit 30 wins until June 13 last season. This year? They got there first, period.

Manager Walt Weiss has completely transformed this roster. The Braves are 30-13, already the best record in the majors. They spent most of last year below .500 and missed the playoffs after seven straight postseason appearances. That 76-86 finish in 2025 feels like ancient history. Now Atlanta has won four straight and clinched the series Wednesday night 4-1, with Mike Yastrzemski delivering a crucial pinch-hit RBI double and Mauricio Dubon launching a two-run bomb to put it away.

Sale Is Locked In and the Cubs Can't Touch Him

Here's the thing keeping Cubs fans up at night: Chris Sale is pitching like a guy half his age. The 37-year-old veteran will take the mound Thursday trying to close out the sweep, and good luck stopping him. Sale is 6-2 with a 2.20 ERA, and he's allowed more than one run in just two of his first eight starts. That's elite. His last outing against the Dodgers was no exception. He gave up two earned runs over seven innings in a 3-1 loss, but Weiss was still impressed with what he saw.

"He was great," Weiss said of Sale's last appearance. "We're going to win a lot of games with him pitching like that."

Since April 6, when he got roughed up by the Angels, Sale has been absolutely dominant. He's 4-1 with a 1.36 ERA in five starts since then. Against the Cubs specifically, he's 3-2 with a 1.59 ERA in seven career appearances. The Cubs are about to find out why everyone's been talking about his resurgence.

Cubs Strike Out Offensively, Ben Brown Gets a Chance

Chicago is in full freefall. They've lost four straight after winning 10 in a row, and they're staring down their first sweep of the season. The offense has completely disappeared, scoring just three runs across this four-game collapse.

Manager Craig Counsell knows what the problem is. "We've had really good at bats and we've created action, we're just missing some hits right now," he said. "The luck has kind of gone against us and it adds up to some tough offensive games."

The Cubs will counter with Ben Brown, a 26-year-old reliever making his second straight start after spending most of the year in the bullpen. Brown threw four no-hit innings against Texas on Friday in his first start since July 27 last year, striking out three and walking one in a no-decision that came in a 7-1 Cubs win. Counsell loved what he saw. Brown is 0-1 with a 3.24 ERA in one start against Atlanta and will make the 25th start of his three-year career Thursday.

The Braves are rolling. The Cubs are not. Thursday night figures to be more of the same.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.