Chris Sale reaches 2,500 strikeouts, Braves beat Phillies 9-3 for a doubleheader split

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Chris Sale became the fastest pitcher to reach 2,500 strikeouts, pitched six scoreless innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-3 on Thursday night to split a doubleheader.

The Phillies won the afternoon game 5-4.

Sale (3-3) struck out Edmundo Sosa in the sixth inning for his eighth strikeout, to reach the milestone. He did it in 2,026 innings, surpassing the record of 2,107 2/3 set by Randy Johnson.

Sale became the 40th pitcher in major league history to reach 2.500 strikeouts and joined Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer as the only active pitchers to have reached that plateau.

Sosa was the last hitter Sale faced. He allowed just two hits in six shutout innings.

Austin Riley had a double, a homer, and four RBIs, Ozzie Albies homered and drove in three, and Luke Williams had a pair of RBIs for the Braves, who snapped a three-game losing skid.

Zack Wheeler (6-2) allowed six runs in 5 1/3 innings for the Phillies, who lost for just the second time in their last 13 games.

After the game, the Phillies acquired left-hander Josh Walker from Toronto for cash considerations. Walker goes on the Phillies' 40-man roster, but will be assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Sale loaded the bases in the fifth inning on two walks and a hit batter, but got out of it by getting Alec Bohm to ground out to Williams to end the threat.

Albies' homer, his sixth of the season, extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

RHP Grant Holmes (3-3, 3.68 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Braves when they open a three-game series at home against Boston on Friday.

Philadelphia will turn to RHP Taijuan Walker (2-3, 2.97) in the first game of a weekend home series against Milwaukee. RHP Quinn Priester (1-2, 4.23) is slated to start for the Brewers.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Atlanta Braves' Alex Verdugo, right, and Ozzie Albies celebrate after the Braves won the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Atlanta Braves shortstop Luke Williams throws to first base after fielding a single by Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber during the eighth inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Atlanta Braves' Drake Baldwin, left, and Raisel Iglesias celebrate after the Braves won the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Atlanta Braves' Chris Sale pitches during the first inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Four years after showing up late for the Beijing Olympics and missing one of his races because of a case of COVID-19, U.S. long track speedskater Casey Dawson is enjoying what he jokingly terms his “villain arc,” peaking at the right time ahead of the Milan Cortina Games.

Dawson secured a spot for next month in the men's 5,000 meters — an event he was forced to skip in 2022 while sick — by winning at that distance at the U.S. Olympic trials in 6 minutes, 12.857 seconds on Friday night.

“I actually got COVID two or three weeks before going to the competition. Tested positive for 50 straight tests,” said Dawson, a 25-year-old from Park City, Utah. “Couldn’t go over to the Games. I missed the opening ceremonies. Missed the 5,000 meters. Showed up 12 hours before my 1,500 meters. So I kind of got a little screwed over from that point of view. But this time around, I’m just looking forward to getting there smoothly and just getting a little bit of redemption.”

And then, with a chuckle, Dawson added: “It’s kind of fun to have, like, my villain arc, I would call it. Just coming back and having some fun.”

Ethan Cepuran was about 6 1/2 seconds back Friday, finishing next in 6:19.335.

The last American man to medal in the 5,000 at an Olympics was Chad Hedrick at the 2006 Turin Games.

Dawson already had secured the lone U.S. place for Milan in the men’s 10,000 — a race not being contested at these trials — and also will be part of the trio for men’s team pursuit at the Olympics.

Dawson, Cepuran and Emery Lehman took the bronze in that event in Beijing four years ago, set the world record in 2024 and claimed gold in the team pursuit at the world championships in March.

In the other race Friday, the women's 3,000, Greta Myers won in 4:06.799. As of now, the United States does not have a berth in Milan for that distance, but one of its athletes could end up in the field if another country relinquishes an opening.

“It's hard to wait,” said Myers, a 21-year-old from Lino Lakes, Minnesota. “But I'm very hopeful. I think it's at least a 50-50 chance that it'll happen.”

The U.S. Olympic roster for long track won't become official until the four-day trials at the Pettit National Ice Center wrap up on Monday. One element that could come into play is that the Americans are allowed to bring a maximum of eight men and six women to these Winter Games.

The biggest star of the team — and the sport — is scheduled to make his trials debut Saturday in the men's 1,000 meters: Jordan Stolz. The 21-year-old from Kewaskum, a town about 40 miles north of Milwaukee, is not just competing at home this week; he's racing at the same rink where he first began taking lessons as a kid.

He made his Olympic debut at age 17 in Beijing four years ago, finishing 13th in the 500 and 14th in the 1,000.

At both the 2023 and 2024 world championships, Stolz earned titles in each of the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters.

He's already pre-qualified for the Olympics based on performances at those three distances. All he really needs to do to lock down berths on the squad for the Feb. 6-22 Milan Cortina Games is show up at the starting line this week.

The 500 and 1,500 are slated for Sunday, and the mass start is Monday.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Casey Dawson, of Park City, Utah, right, and Ethan Cepuran, of Glen Ellyn, lllinois, left, compete in the men's 5,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials for long track speed skating at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Howard Fendrich)

The Pettit National Ice Center is seen in Milwaukee on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, the first day of the U.S. Olympic trials for long track speedskating. (AP Photo/Howard Fendrich)