Wednesday was Chris Sale's final start of the regular season, so he made the most of it.
Sale was well-rested in his first start since Sept. 11, and it showed. He racked up 10 strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Cincinnati Reds, helping the Atlanta Braves to a 3-2 victory.
The gem raised his season strikeout total to 200, giving him nine career seasons with at least 200 strikeouts. That's the second most by a left-handed pitcher in MLB history, behind only Randy Johnson's 3. It ranks fifth all-time behind Nolan Ryan, Johnson, Roger Clemens and Tom Seaver.
The 37-year-old lefty finishes his 16th Major League season with a 14-9 record, a 2.16 ERA, 200 strikeouts and 5.6 WAR. He also leads MLB in home run rate and K/BB ratio.
With another excellent regular season behind him, the 10-time All-Star now shifts his attention to the postseason. His next start will come in the NLDS next week as he and his teammates begin their pursuit of a World Series title.