Chris Sale struck out 10 in his 14th win and Marcell Ozuna went three for three with an early three-run homer as the Atlanta Braves blew out the Angels 11-3 on Saturday night at Angel Stadium.
Whit Merrifield and Ramón Laureano also went deep for the Braves, who improved to 5-3 since a six-game losing streak. They remained a game ahead of the New York Mets for the final National League playoff berth.
Sale (14-3) allowed two runs on six hits and two walks over six innings, tying Detroit ace Tarik Skubal for the major league lead in wins. The eight-time All-Star moved to 8-0 in 11 appearances (nine starts) against the Angels with a 1.24 ERA — his lowest versus any team he’s faced at least 10 times.
“We’re getting to know him and seeing the pro he is, how he works, the competitiveness,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said about Sale, derailed by injuries in recent seasons. “The stuff’s really good. I’m happy for him with all he’s been through that he’s having a normal year. And it’s a great year.”
It was Sale’s third consecutive double-digit strikeout game and sixth this season, which is his first in Atlanta.
“I’m just enjoying where I’m at and having fun playing baseball again, honestly,” said Sale, who leads the NL in wins, ERA (2.62) and strikeouts (187) in his quest for a pitching triple crown. “Obviously, my last few years have been well documented and it was tough. But people go through tough things, you get over it and here we are.”
Nolan Schanuel had three hits for the Angels and Kevin Pillar drove in two runs against his former club as the Angels dropped to 1-4 on a six-game homestand. Griffin Canning (4-11) gave up a season-high seven runs and eight hits in 4⅓ innings.
The Braves led 3-0 three batters into the game when Michael Harris II doubled, Austin Riley singled and Ozuna hit a home run to center field, his 36th. They made it 4-0 in the second on an RBI single from Harris.
“(The home run) meant a lot for the team and especially for me,” Ozuna said. “I had that situation the last series a lot and this series was the first time I was not (thinking), ‘Please, don’t strike out.’ I got a good pitch to hit and I hit it.”
Atlanta put away the game with five runs in the fifth. Merrifield hit a leadoff homer, Travis d’Arnaud had a two-run double and Laureano followed with a two-run homer.
“A night like tonight, you have a 3-0 lead before you even walk on the field, that helps a lot, too,” Sale said. “I’m surrounded by a lot of good people that push me in the right direction and have been able to keep me upright and keep me going.”
A rare Angels highlight came in the sixth. Left fielder Taylor Ward tried to make a sliding catch along the foul line, but the ball eluded his glove and bounced off his leg before he corralled it in his lap for the out.
The Angels broke through against Sale in the sixth on an RBI double from Pillar, who later scored on a wild pitch.
“If we could have come with our bullpen and held that game right there and not given up those five runs in that fifth inning, it would have been a ballgame,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “That type of guy (in Sale), you just have to stay in the ballgame with him, let him pitch, keep grinding, get him out of there and get into the bullpen. But we couldn’t stay in there.”
Injury updates: Angels right-hander José Soriano went on the 15-day injured list with right arm fatigue, while Luis Rengifo (wrist) was moved to the 60-day injured list. Right-hander José Cisnero (shoulder) was reinstated from the IL. Third baseman Anthony Rendon was out of the lineup after getting hit by a pitch on the right elbow Friday.
Up next for the Angels: Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (1-2, 7.98) will make his fourth career start and first since his first major league win last Sunday against the Nationals.