Chris Sale struck out eight and pitched seven innings of one-run ball, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. The left-hander earned his first win since April 25, lowering his ERA from 3.97 to 3.62.
Sale’s impressive performance was highlighted by his ability to make a crucial play on a comebacker by Nick Sogard in the fifth inning. He spent six seasons with the Red Sox before being traded to Atlanta during the offseason and is now 2-0 against his former team.
The Braves took an early lead when Matt Olson and Sean Murphy hit consecutive home runs in the second inning. The game remained scoreless until the seventh, when Rob Refsnyder hit a solo homer. However, the Red Sox tied it up in the eighth on Jarren Duran’s two hits.
In the ninth inning, Brennan Bernardino issued back-to-back walks with the bases loaded, allowing the Braves to take the lead for good. Raisel Iglesias earned his eighth save of the season as the Braves moved above .500 for the first time since losing seven consecutive games.
The Braves’ win marked a turning point in their season, and they now sit fifth in the National League East with a 23-22 record. The team’s next game is against Lucas Giolito on Saturday.
Source: https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=401695563