ATLANTA (AP) — Chris Sale allowed one run and struck out six over six innings, shutting down Shohei Ohtani in the process, for his major league-leading 17th win of the season as the Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-1 on Saturday night.
Ohtani, who had a strikeout and walk, has stalled in his quest to be the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, going 0 for 6 in his last two games since hitting his NL-best 47th home run on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs. He has 48 steals.
“He’s a special player, and when he gets barrel to the ball it’s going to be hard," Sale said. “With what he’s done this year, if he gets the ball in the air, it’s probably not going to be good for me, so I’m really just trying to throw swing and miss pitches from the first pitch of the game.”
Sale (17-3), who hasn't been charged with a loss since June 27, became the first player in Braves franchise history to allow no more than two earned runs in 17 straight starts, passing Hall of Famer Greg Maddux's previous record of 16 starts. He also surpassed Padres starter Dylan Cease for most strikeouts in the NL this season with 219.
Atlanta is now a season-high 14 games over .500 and pulled even with the Mets for the final NL wild-card spot. New York lost at the Phillies 6-4 on Saturday night.
“These last couple of nights, this is what we’ve expected from ourselves,” Sale said. “We knew what this series means and it’s been a good couple of games for us.”
Atlanta scored six runs in the sixth inning, which featured Matt Olson's bases-loaded double and RBIs from Whit Merrifield and Michael Harris II.
Olson also opened the scoring for Atlanta in the first with an RBI double that scored Harris, who had reached on a single. Olson finished with four RBIs on 2-of-4 hitting.
“When we hit like that, we’re capable of a lot," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "You just kind of get cautiously optimistic that we’re going to get on a run because we’re getting a lot from everybody again, which is really good.”
Jack Flaherty (5-2) lasted just three innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits while walking four and striking out four.
Orlando Arcia broke a 1-1 deadlock in the third with a bases-loaded double off the center-field wall that scored Jorge Soler, Marcel Ozuna and Jarred Kelenic.
Mookie Betts had the only RBI for Los Angeles with a single in the third inning that tied the game at 1-1.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: RHP Tyler Glasnow is “highly unlikely” to return this season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday. Glasnow hasn't pitched since Aug. 11 due to elbow tendinitis. On Friday night, he was supposed to pitch a simulated game, but felt pain in his elbow while warming up in the bullpen.
UP NEXT
Braves RHP Charlie Morton (8-8, 4.11) will start the third of a four-game series opposite Dodgers RHP Walker Buehler (1-5, 4.11).
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This story has been changed to reflect that Shohei Ohtani leads the National League with 47 home runs, not the major leagues.
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