Chris Sale tossed seven stellar innings and Drake Baldwin homered and drove in four runs on Saturday night to help the visiting Atlanta Braves post a 9-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Sale (6-1) allowed one run on three hits, striking out 11 and walking three for Atlanta, which remains the only MLB team to have not lost a series. Austin Riley also homered for the Braves, who built on their commanding National League East division lead. Their 24-10 record is the best in baseball.
Brennan Bernardino (2-1) served as the opener for the Rockies, allowing two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Chase Dollander then took over, throwing 5 1/3 innings of eight-hit, six-run ball, striking out three and walking three for Colorado, which dropped their fourth game in five tries.
After Ronald Acuna Jr. began the game with a single, Baldwin launched his eighth homer of the year on a drive to left to give the Braves a 2-0 lead.
In the second, Jorge Mateo doubled before Baldwin’s RBI single extended the lead to 3-0.
Kyle Karros singled to begin the third and scored on Jordan Beck’s two-out double, cutting the Rockies’ deficit to 3-1.
Eli White hit a run-scoring single and Baldwin’s double drove in a run in the fourth, before Ozzie Albies’ sacrifice fly made it 6-1 for Atlanta.
Michael Harris II singled and advanced to second on right fielder Troy Johnston’s error in the fifth, then scored on Riley’s two-run homer to left-center to push the lead to 8-1.
Tanner Gordon threw three innings in relief, allowing Matt Olson’s 11th home run of the season in the ninth to give the Braves a 9-1 lead.
Hunter Stratton threw a scoreless ninth to seal the win for the red-hot Braves.
–Field Level Media
