ATLANTA — When Chris Sale emerged from the dugout in the top of the ninth inning at Truist Park on Thursday night, the sellout crowd of 39,650 erupted as if the last out of the game was recorded. And that’s because the 37-year-old ace was attempting to do just that.Sale’s jog back to the field was fueled by a heavy heart. But it was also a reflection of an adjustment made by a 10-time all-star who has been in the big leagues for 16 seasons — and finds himself throwing nearly as hard as he did as a rookie.With a 98.6 mph fastball, his 109th and final pitch of the game, Sale struck out Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Alex Call to secure his first complete game since 2019, the 17th of his career, in a 1-0 win over the reigning back-to-back world champions.The veteran held the superstar-filled lineup to five hits, striking out 11 while hitting 100.1 mph, touching triple digits for the first time since 2018. He maintained his velocity throughout the game, the product of intentionally ramping up his throwing between starts.“I pride myself on going out there and giving my team a chance to win,” Sale said. “Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not. But you know, I’m just thankful for the people that I have in my corner to help me get out to that mound.“I’ve said it a lot, but this isn’t me just behind the scenes doing what I do to get out there. I got a lot of people in my corner helping me out.”Chris Sale celebrates his shutout with Drake Baldwin. (Photo by Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)Before even taking the mound, Sale dealt with the grief of losing a close family friend. Ashley Foss passed away on Thursday. She was 42. The Foss family had been close with the Sales for 20 years, with a friendship that started in his hometown of Lakeland, Fla.