Sale picks up 1st win of season, Braves rout Diamondbacks 8-2

PHOENIX (AP) — Chris Sale won for the first time this season and the Atlanta Braves beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 on Friday night.

Austin Riley and Eli White each drove in two runs for the Braves, who have won six of their last seven. It was the Braves’ first victory against a National League West team this season after starting the season 0-7 at San Diego and Los Angeles.

Sale (1-2) threw 104 pitches over five innings, but he pitched out of trouble and only gave up a run. The 2024 NL Cy Young Award winner allowed five hits, with two walks and four strikeouts and lowered his ERA from 6.17 to 5.40.

White drove in the first run for the Braves in their three-run second with a double off Zac Gallen (1-4). White started in right field after his three-run homer in the eighth inning of a 4-1 win against St. Louis on Wednesday.

Gallen (1-4) went five innings for the Diamondbacks, allowing three runs and five hits. He threw 103 pitches. Atlanta scored three times off Yilber Diaz in the eighth with Ozzie Albies, White and Riley driving in runs.

Arizona’s Corbin Carroll was 1 for 5 with a triple, and had a home run overturned on a crew chief review. Carroll entered Friday tied for the major league lead with nine homers.

Key moment

Eugenio Suarez’s throwing error with two on and two out in the sixth led to a pair of Atlanta runs and made the score 5-1.

Key stat

The Braves won for just the third time on the road this season against 11 losses. Only Colorado (1-14) is worse away from home.

Next

Atlanta RHP Grant Holmes (2-1, 3.22) faces Arizona RHP Merrill Kelly (3-1, 4.73) Saturday.

___

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