Ace Chris Sale is fully rested for Game 3 against Dodgers, giving Braves their 'best-case scenario'

ATLANTA (AP) — Walt Weiss heard what he described as “screaming” from those who criticized his decision to have Ray Kerr open a bullpen game for the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The critics thought Weiss should have started Chris Sale in Game 2 so the ace left-hander might also be an option if a Game 5 is necessary.

A Game 2 start on Sunday would have been normal rest for most pitchers, but the 37-year-old Sale has thrived this season when given extra rest. Also, Sale recorded the final four outs as a reliever in Thursday night's 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies to clinch the NL Wild Card Series.

Weiss acknowledged on Monday “it's satisfying” that his decision to use his bullpen worked out so well in the Braves' 3-2 Game 2 win that evened the best-of-five series 1-1.

“In the end, yeah, as we sit here today, it’s the best-case scenario that we could possibly have,” Weiss said. “Now we win the game, we win the bullpen game, and now we have a fresh Chris Sale ready to go.”

Sale is expected to start Game 3 on Tuesday night against Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 2025 World Series MVP.

Sale was 14-9 with a 2.16 ERA in the regular season. He said Monday he told Weiss he could start on Sunday.

“I told him I was available,” Sale said. “I felt confident in my ability to go out there and be able to perform at a high level. I really felt confident in myself in starting Game 2. I reiterated that plenty of times to them. Again, this is a team game. This isn’t about me, this isn’t about one guy.”

Weiss agreed Sale could have been good by most pitchers' standards on normal rest. The manager said he preferred a fully rested Sale.

“If you have Sale in Game 2 and Game 5, as people were screaming about, we saw it as you’re getting a diminished Chris Sale twice at that point,” Weiss said. “We wanted to get a full-strength Chris Sale, and that’s Game 3.”

Weiss left open the possibility Sale could pitch in relief if there is a Game 5.

Kerr threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings and right-hander Didier Fuentes gave up one run in 3 2/3 innings before closer Raisel Iglesias earned his second save.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s a good bullpen out there,” Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas said. “They’re throwing the ball really well. They got guys with big arms, and they know how to use them. So you’ve got to give credit to the opposition, too.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the back-to-back bullpen games by the Braves "showed that they’re going to use any pitcher, try to get every matchup possible. Obviously them pushing Fuentes to almost four innings ... shows they’re going to ride certain guys, and obviously they use their bullpen accordingly.”

Braves right-hander Tyler Mahle is expected to start Game 4 on Wednesday night.

Led by Kerr, Atlanta's six relievers combined to allow six hits and two runs.

“We took a lot of shots at how we approached that game, but in the end it all worked out,” Weiss said, adding the bullpen has been the team's most consistent strength as the Braves faced a long series of injuries that left the rotation depleted.

Left-hander Martín Pérez was expected to be part of the postseason rotation before landing on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 24 with lower back inflammation. The Braves also have lost starting pitchers Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López, Bryce Elder and Hurston Waldrep this season.

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Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss (22) gets the ball from pitcher Dylan Lee as Lee exits during the fifth inning of Game 2 of a National League Division Series baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts speaks during a news conference ahead of a baseball NL Division Series Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Ray Kerr, center, bumps fists with catcher Drake Baldwin as he exits during the third inning of Game 2 of a National League Division Series baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto works out before Game 1 of a National League Division Series baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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)

TROY, Ohio (AP) — Former ‘American Idol’ contestant Caleb Flynn is sentenced to life in prison for wife’s murder.

THIS IS AN APNewsAlert. Check back for updates. AP's earlier story is below.

A former music pastor in Ohio who appeared briefly on “American Idol” was set to be sentenced Monday after a jury convicted him of murdering his wife while he was having an affair.

Prosecutors said Caleb Flynn, 40, staged a home invasion in February after shooting his wife, Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach. Flynn claimed she was killed by a burglar at their house in Tipp City, a suburb north of Dayton.

He sent a text message to his lover the night before the shooting, saying, “I choose you. I’m free. Actions will come tomorrow,” prosecutors said.

Flynn faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole after the jury found him guilty last week of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.

Flynn appeared briefly on “American Idol” in 2013, telling TV viewers about how his wife had encouraged him to chase his dreams on the singing competition. He sang before judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Nicki Minaj but did not advance to the main competition in Hollywood.

During closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors that Flynn wanted out of his marriage when he shot his wife. The couple’s two daughters were home with their father when police arrived.

During the trial, Alleigha Botner testified she met Flynn in 2022 while she was a 20-year-old intern at his church and had an affair with him for more than a year. She told jurors that Flynn said he hated his wife and had thoughts of killing her.

Jurors also heard AI-generated love songs that prosecutors said he made for Botner. Flynn didn’t testify on his own behalf, nor did anybody else.

The gun used to kill Ashley Flynn was not found at the scene, and his attorney told jurors that investigators found no evidence that Caleb Flynn fired a gun that day. Prosecutors said his fingerprints and DNA were at the scene and that his devices showed him moving around the house, even though he claimed he was asleep at the time of the shooting.

This image taken from pool court video shows 40-year-old Caleb Flynn listening to the judge reading out the jury's verdict at the Miami County Court of Common Pleas on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Troy, Ohio. (Pool via AP)

Caleb Flynn listens to court proceedings inside the Miami County Court of Common Pleas on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, in Troy, Ohio. (AP Photo, Pool)