Chris Sale strikes out 8 and leads the Braves to a 4-2 win over the Red Sox

BOSTON (AP) — Chris Sale struck out eight and pitched seven innings of one-run ball Friday night, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Sale (2-3), who won a World Series with Boston, earned his first win since April 25. The 36-year-old left-hander allowed five hits and an earned run with two walks.

The reigning National League Cy Young winner lowered his ERA from 3.97 to 3.62. Also a Gold Glove winner for the first time in his career last season, Sale went down to his knees on a comebacker by Boston’s Nick Sogard and got up and made the play for the first out of the fifth.

Sale spent six seasons with the Red Sox (2017-23) and recorded the final out that clinched Boston’s 2018 championship. He is 2-0 against the Red Sox since getting traded to Atlanta during the 2023-24 offseason.

Matt Olson and Sean Murphy hit consecutive homers in the second inning for Atlanta and the Braves added two runs in the ninth when Red Sox reliever Brennan Bernardino issued back-to-back walks with the bases loaded.

Raisel Iglesias allowed an RBI single to Boston’s Trevor Story in the ninth inning and earned his eighth save.

The Braves (23-22) became the fifth team to move above .500 after losing 7 or more consecutive games to open a season.

The solo homers were the only runs allowed by Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet (4-3) in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked none.

Jarren Duran had two hits and reached base safely three times – all against Sale – while Rob Refsnyder hit a solo homer in the seventh.

Key moment

In a span of three pitches in the second inning, the game went from scoreless to Atlanta going up for good. Olson went the opposite way for eighth home run of the season. Murphy sent an 0-1 pitch from Crochet into the Green Monster seats for his eighth homer.

Key stat

Crochet leads MLB with five starts of at least seven innings.

Up next

Atlanta RHP Grant Holmes (2-3, 4.14) faces Boston RHP Lucas Giolito in the middle game of the series Saturday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb