Chris Sale learned he was an All-Star for the tenth time shortly before first pitch Saturday, according to the Associated Press. Then the Atlanta Braves spent the evening making sure the honor came with a win, hitting five home runs in a 14-3 rout of the New York Mets at Truist Park.
Sale (9-6) was not at his sharpest — five innings, seven hits, three runs, a season-low-matching three strikeouts — and the AP noted the fourth-inning homer by Tyrone Taylor ended his 46-inning homerless streak, the longest active run among big-league starters. On a night his offense scored 14, none of it mattered. His ERA still sits at 2.27 through 95 innings, and the run support arrived from everywhere.
Michael Harris II led the way with three hits, three runs and his 16th home run, pushing his average to .301. Eli White drove in four on a perfect 2-for-2 night that included a homer and a double, and Mike Yastrzemski matched him at 2-for-2 with a two-run shot after entering mid-game. Mauricio Dubón and Austin Riley also went deep, Riley collecting three RBIs — a welcome sight for a lineup that has waited on his bat most of the summer.
The quietest contribution may have been the most useful. Rookie JR Ritchie closed with three scoreless innings, striking out four and earning the save while sparing the rest of the bullpen a holiday-weekend workload. Mets starter Sean Manaea took the loss, charged with six runs over five innings.
The win moved Atlanta to 52-35 and kept the Braves atop the NL East. As for the visitors from Queens — bless their hearts, but 14 runs allowed is a long night in any ballpark. The series concludes Sunday afternoon.
