The Atlanta Braves continued their recent dominance over the Arizona Diamondbacks, notching their sixth win in seven matchups with an 8-2 victory Friday night.
Behind 11 total hits — mostly singles and doubles — Atlanta’s offense steadily wore down Arizona pitching, even as starter Chris Sale battled command issues.
The matchup between aces Chris Sale and Zac Gallen promised fireworks, but both pitchers struggled out of the gate. Sale, despite flashing solid velocity with a fastball sitting in the mid-to-upper 90s, labored through early innings, often working deep into counts without the ability to finish hitters off.
By the time he threw his 90th pitch — in the fourth inning — it was clear his command issues were mechanical in nature, something the Braves coaching staff will need to address quickly.
The Braves’ offense gave Sale a cushion early with a productive second inning. Michael Harris II led things off with a single, followed by Eli White’s RBI double down the left field line to open the scoring.
Alex Verdugo then lofted a bloop double just inside the line in left, scoring another run. Austin Riley added an RBI single to cap a three-run inning, all without a home run.
Arizona got one back in the fourth on a two-out RBI single from Jorge Barrosa, but the Braves responded in the sixth. With two outs and two on, White chopped an infield grounder that forced a rushed throw from third baseman Eugenio Suárez, which skipped away and allowed a run to score. Nick Allen followed with a sharp single to right to extend the lead to 5-1.
Gallen also had a tough night, needing 59 pitches to get through the first two innings. Though he settled in somewhat afterward, he was pulled after five innings.
Atlanta nearly saw its lead cut in the seventh when Corbin Carroll launched a deep fly ball off reliever Dylan Lee, but a replay review determined it narrowly missed the foul pole and was ruled a foul ball — saving the Braves from a potential two-run scare.
With solid contributions throughout the lineup and a bullpen that held the line, the Braves turned in a well-rounded win despite a shaky night from their starter.
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