The Atlanta Braves beat the Oakland Athletics 5-1 in their series finale at Truist Park on Wednesday. Starter Chris Sale pitched six innings, allowing one run on a solo home run despite feeling ill. Catcher Drake Baldwin drove in all five Braves runs.
Chris Sale delivered a dominant performance for the Braves, cruising through three perfect innings before Shea Langeliers ended his bid with a solo home run in the fourth. Sale struck out three, including Max Muncy and Tyler Soderstrom, while throwing just 79 pitches. Despite not having his best stuff, he focused on location, as he told reporters: “You’re not going to have your best stuff every time, so I really tried to focus on raising my focus.” Manager Walt Weiss revealed Sale was sick beforehand and they hoped for only three innings, calling it an “unbelievable performance” from a likely Hall of Famer. Sale earned his second win with a 0.75 ERA this season. Robert Suarez, Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias closed out the victory with scoreless innings. Drake Baldwin was key offensively, going 2-for-3 with four RBIs, a walk and a run scored via a single and double. He also guided Sale effectively behind the plate. Shea Langeliers, a former Braves first-round pick traded to Oakland in 2022, hit his MLB-leading fifth home run of the season off Sale, tying Oakland records set by Mark McGwire. “I’m feeling pretty good at the plate and feeling confident,” Langeliers said. Oakland center fielder Denzel Clarke made a spectacular seventh-inning catch, robbing Baldwin of a home run after covering 82 feet in five seconds on a 401-foot drive. A's manager Mark Kotsay praised Clarke's knack for such plays as the Athletics fell to 1-5.
