Sale, Yamamoto Deal Early in NLDS Game 3 Duel

Rematch follows Sale's 1-0 shutout in August

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 27m1 min read

“There’s some filthy stuff being thrown tonight on both sides” Walt Weiss spoke with @Ken_Rosenthal about what he’s see Via @MLBONFOX on X

What happened: Walt Weiss told Ken Rosenthal both starters are showing swing-and-miss stuff in Game 3 in Atlanta. The meeting is the scheduled NLDS Game 3 pairing of Chris Sale and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Why it matters: A Game 3 decision reshapes the series math with the NLDS already underway. Back-to-back shutdown innings would push bullpen use and starter length for Games 4 and beyond.

By the numbers: Yamamoto entered at 14-9 with a 2.53 ERA and 0.87 WHIP over 185 innings with 182 strikeouts. Sale entered at 14-9 with a 2.16 ERA and 0.98 WHIP innings with 200 strikeouts.

What to watch: Watch pitch counts and second-time-through damage to see who exits Game 3 first.

Sources

@MLBONFOX 2026-10-06T23:10:30.578898+00:00

CONVERSATION

Loading comments…

MLBAnalysisChris SaleYoshinobu Yamamoto

Follow MLB Intelligence

Real-time signals and analysis

@WireReportMLB

WR Pro

The day's sports, briefed to your inbox at 7am ET. Every claim sourced.

$9/month Free weekly newsletter →