In a standout performance, Chris Sale added another milestone to his stellar season by leading the Atlanta Braves to a 10-1 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night. Sale allowed just one run and struck out six over six innings, collecting his major league-leading 17th win of the year. In the process, he neutralized one of MLB’s biggest threats, Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani, currently chasing history with hopes of becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, was stifled by Sale, going 0-for-6 in his last two games after hitting his National League-best 47th home run against the Cubs. He remains at 48 steals for the season.
“He’s a special player,” Sale remarked of Ohtani. “When he gets the barrel on the ball, it’s trouble. Given what he’s done this year, I just focused on throwing swing-and-miss pitches from the start.”
With this latest victory, Sale (17-3) extended his streak of allowing no more than two earned runs to 17 consecutive starts, setting a Braves franchise record. He surpassed Hall of Famer Greg Maddux’s mark of 16 straight starts. Sale also took over the National League strikeout lead from Padres pitcher Dylan Cease, raising his total to 219.
The Braves’ win pushed them to a season-high 14 games above .500, drawing even with the Mets for the final National League Wild Card spot. New York lost to the Phillies 6-4 on the same night.
“These last two games have been what we expect from ourselves,” Sale said. “We knew how important this series was, and we’ve played some good baseball.”
Atlanta’s offense exploded for six runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by Matt Olson’s bases-loaded double and additional RBIs from Whit Merrifield and Michael Harris II. Olson also drove in the game’s first run in the first inning, finishing the night with four RBIs on 2-for-4 hitting.
“When we hit like that, we’re capable of a lot,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s encouraging to see contributions from everyone, and hopefully, this is the start of a strong run.”
Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty (5-2) struggled, lasting only three innings and surrendering four earned runs on five hits, with four walks and four strikeouts.
The only bright spot for Los Angeles came from Mookie Betts, who tied the game briefly in the third inning with an RBI single, but it wasn’t enough to stop Atlanta’s relentless attack.
Injury Updates:
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow is unlikely to return this season, according to manager Dave Roberts. Glasnow has been sidelined with elbow tendinitis since August 11. He attempted a simulated game on Friday, but pain in his elbow during warm-ups shut him down.
Up Next: The Braves will send right-hander Charlie Morton (8-8, 4.11 ERA) to the mound for Game 3 of the series, where he’ll face Dodgers righty Walker Buehler (1-5, 4.11 ERA).
This article has been updated to reflect that Shohei Ohtani leads the National League in home runs with 47, not the major leagues.
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