LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Sale will start on extra rest for the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of their National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.
The NL East champions picked reliever Ray Kerr to start against two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell in Game 2 on Sunday.
Atlanta lost the series opener 5-3 in a bullpen game on Saturday.
“At the end of the day, we want full-strength Chris Sale,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said before Game 2. “I know him at 80% is really good, but that’s what it came down to.”
Kerr started the NL Wild Card Series clincher against Philadelphia on Thursday, tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out two in his postseason debut. The 32-year-old left-hander missed all of the 2025 season and the start of this season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Sale will have five days of rest before Game 4 on Wednesday. The Braves used him to get the final four outs against the Phillies after just one day of rest.
“We needed to win that series, and that was our best chance to do it,” Weiss said. “So I have zero regrets about pitching Chris Sale in that last game.”
Sale was 14-9 with a 2.16 ERA in the regular season and his 96.1 mph average four-seam fastball velocity was a career high. The 37-year-old left-hander often was given extra rest and that helped him stay strong and strike out 200 in 162 2/3 innings.
Weiss said Sale is not hurt or sore.
“We’ve given him extra rest all year, and it’s served him very well,” he said. “It allowed him to do what he did the other night.”
Sale will oppose 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 3 at Truist Park.
“Anytime you could have Chris Sale on the mound, you feel good about it,” Braves third baseman Austin Riley said.
Right-hander Tyler Mahle started Game 2 of the Wild Card Series after sustaining an abdominal pull during his pregame warmup. He threw a bullpen Sunday.
“He's responded well to treatment," Weiss said. "I think he’s going to be just fine.”
Atlanta's rotation has battled injuries this season.
Left-hander Martín Pérez would have been part of the postseason rotation before he was placed on the 15-day injured list late last month with lower back inflammation. The Braves also have lost starting pitchers Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López and Hurston Waldrep.
The best-of-five Division Series shifts to Atlanta on Tuesday and Wednesday, if necessary. A fifth game, if needed, would be played in Los Angeles on Friday.
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Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale points ot the crowd after Game 3 of baseball's NL Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Ray Kerr throws against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning during Game 3 of baseball's NL Wild Card Series, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale throws against the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth inning during Game 3 of baseball's NL Wild Card Series, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Gonçalo Ramos is helping Portugal to forget all about Cristiano Ronaldo, while Greece took more points off Jürgen Klopp and Germany in the Nations League.
Ramos fired Portugal to a 2-1 win over Norway on Sunday to keep the Portuguese perfect in Group A4 with four wins – enough to book their place in the quarterfinals.
Ronaldo was involved in Portugal's opening Nations League game, where he was replaced by Ramos in a 1-0 win over Wales, and hasn't played since. The veteran left the squad after watching the second game from the substitutes’ bench – a 2-1 win in Norway – and Portugal showed no ill effects from his departure with a 4-2 win in Denmark and the latest 2-1 win over Norway.
Kristoffer Ajer opened the scoring Sunday with a brilliant half volley inside the far corner from the edge of the penalty area after taking down Martin Ødegaard’s free kick to set up the shot in the 36th minute.
A seemingly inspired João Cancelo responded in similar fashion at the other end two minutes later.
Ramos got the winner from close range in the 79th after a move involving Vitinha and João Félix, and Portugal survived Francisco Conceição’s late sending off with his second yellow card.
Erling Haaland failed to score for the second consecutive game, and was substituted in the 67th minute. He has 65 goals in 59 appearances.
A late penalty from Rasmus Højlund was enough for Denmark to beat Wales 1-0 in the other group game.
The Danes are second in Group A4 after two wins, while Wales and Norway have a win each.
Greece, which celebrated its first win over Germany last week, almost did it again. Ivan Jovanović's team held Klopp’s side 0-0 in Thessaloniki.
Germany dominated with more possession, more passes and more goal chances, but neither team could score.
Klopp tried reinvigorating his attack with Nick Woltemade and Cologne star Said El Mala for Jonathan Burkardt and Lennart Karl for the last half hour, but Georgios Masouras had the best chance late for the hosts.
Of Klopp’s four games in charge, Germany has only won one.
Joshua Zirkzee fired the Netherlands to a 2-1 win at home over Serbia in the other Group A2 game.
The Netherlands and Greece both have eight points, followed by Germany on five and Serbia with none.
Both teams wore black armbands as Ireland and Israel drew 1-1 in a bad-tempered match in Backa Topola, Serbia.
The Ireland players again bowed their heads during the playing of the Israel national anthem, just as they had in their first game last week to protest Israel's actions in Gaza. The Football Association of Ireland resisted pressure to boycott both games, leaving the players to bear the brunt of it at home where people have a strong affinity with Palestinians. The Irish players ultimately took a vote to fulfill the fixtures.
The Israel players wore black armbands for those killed in the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Kosovo and Austria drew 1-1 in the other Group B3 game.
Also, Azerbaijan defeated Lithuania 1-0, and Malta enjoyed a 1-0 win over Andorra.
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
Norway's Erling Haaland gestures during the Nations League soccer match between Portugal and Norway in Porto, Portugal, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)
Germany's Florian Wirtz, right, challenges for the ball during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Greece and Germany in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
Greece's Giorgos Masouras, right, and Konstantinos Tsimikas celebrate after the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Greece and Germany in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
Germany's head coach Jurgen Klopp prepares for the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Greece and Germany in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
Portugal's Goncalo Ramos celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Nations League soccer match between Portugal and Norway in Porto, Portugal, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)
