Diamondbacks 2, Braves 0: Pfaadt Outlasts Sale in Atlanta

August 14, 2026 - Atlanta - Chris Sale struck out nine and still lost. That is what Brandon Pfaadt did to Truist Park on Friday. Seven innings, two hits, zero walks, 87 pitches. The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 2-0, and the only earned run on Sale's line came from a first-inning ball that left field never caught.

Atlanta had not been shut out since June 27. The Braves had been 10-0 in Friday home games this season. None of that showed up after the first inning.

A misplay, then nothing for six innings

Geraldo Perdomo led off with a walk. Corbin Carroll lined one to left. Mauricio Dubón came in, then reached up, and the ball got through. It was scored a double. Gabriel Moreno grounded Perdomo home. 1-0, and that was Arizona's entire night against Sale.

Sale threw 108 pitches, tying a season high. Five hits. No walks. Nine punchouts. He did his job. The Braves' bats did not.

Pfaadt has been this version of himself since the club brought him back from Triple-A Reno on June 30. He is 7-0 with a 1.16 ERA in that stretch. Friday extended a run of 32 2/3 innings without an earned run. He improved to 7-1. Atlanta put two hits on him and never a free pass.

Marte exits. Tawa finishes it.

Ketel Marte left in the second with left knee soreness. Arizona still collected 10 hits. Perdomo went 3-for-4 and scored. Carroll went 2-for-4. The extra run waited until Sale was gone.

Tim Tawa homered in the ninth, his seventh of the year, a solo shot that made a one-run masterpiece a two-run one. Brandyn Garcia retired the side in the ninth for his fourth save. Juan Morillo had already bridged the eighth.

The Braves managed three hits all night. Truist Park stayed quiet because there was nothing to make noise about.

Pfaadt did not need a high pitch count to finish seven. Eighty-seven pitches, no walks, and a lineup that never saw a free runner to work with. Sale needed 108 to get through six and still had more punchouts. That is the mismatch: Atlanta's ace missed bats, Arizona's starter missed barrels, and the only run Sale allowed was a ball left field did not catch. Garcia's perfect ninth was the easy part after that.

Wild-card math, then Saturday

Arizona is 65-58. Atlanta is 73-49 and still the class of the division. One Friday does not rearrange the National League. It does tell you Pfaadt is no longer a depth arm you can ignore when the Diamondbacks need a road win against an ace.

Saturday: Eduardo Rodriguez (11-4, 2.70) for Arizona, Grant Holmes (7-4, 3.47) for Atlanta.

I am less interested in burying Sale than in the split. He was fine. Pfaadt was better. Dubón's first-inning read was the only run Sale allowed, and Tawa's ninth was insurance Arizona barely needed.

AthX Engine angle

Pfaadt led Friday's entire slate with 30 AthX Engine pitching fantasy points. Sale scored 20 pitching fantasy points in a loss, which is the point of scoring the line instead of the decision. Garcia added 10 pitching fantasy points for the save. Arizona finished with 7 team fantasy points. Atlanta finished at -3.

Fantasy points measure the night. Share price is what the market will pay. They move together, but they are not the same number. See dynamic pricing.

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*Sources: ESPN recap, MLB.com gameday, AthX Engine daily scoring for August 14, 2026. AthX Engine fantasy scoring is for information only and is not financial advice.*