Chris Sale dominates with 7 shutout innings as the Braves rout the Rangers 15-1

ATLANTA (AP) — Chris Sale pitched seven shutout innings of two-hit ball and Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Austin Riley homered for Atlanta during a 19-hit outburst as the Braves pounded the Texas Rangers 15-1 on Friday night.

Sale (10-6) became the 27th major leaguer to reach 2,700 career strikeouts when he fanned Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran in the fifth.

Baldwin was 3 for 4 with a walk and five RBIs. His three-run homer into the Braves bullpen in the fourth gave Atlanta a 5-0 lead. Olson followed two batters later with a 420-foot shot into the Chop House restaurant in right field. He was 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs.

The Rangers had won eight of their last 10 games against left-handed starters, but they were overmatched against Sale. The veteran ace sat out Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia and was ready for Texas. He had six strikeouts, no walks and allowed just a single in the third and a double in the seventh. He threw 62 strikes on 89 pitches.

Rangers starter Cal Quantrill (3-2) lasted four innings and gave up 11 hits and six runs on a season-high 86 pitches. He was relieved by Emiliano Teodo, who permitted two runs over 1 2/3 innings in his big league debut.

All nine Braves starters had a hit, and seven had at least two. Riley was 2 for 5 with two runs. Rookie shortstop Jim Jarvis went 2 for 4 with a double, two runs and an RBI. All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies was 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Michael Harris II had two doubles and three RBIs.

Up next

Rangers LHP MacKenzie Gore (5-8, 4.63 ERA) will face Braves rookie RHP Owen Murphy (0-1, 2.25) in the first start of Murphy’s career Saturday.

___

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

Chris Sale dominates with 7 shutout innings as the Braves rout the Rangers 15-1 | iNFOnews.ca
Atlanta Braves’ Drake Baldwin (30) celebrates his three-run homer against the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Chris Sale dominates with 7 shutout innings as the Braves rout the Rangers 15-1 | iNFOnews.ca
Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olson (28) celebrates hitting a solo homerun in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Chris Sale dominates with 7 shutout innings as the Braves rout the Rangers 15-1 | iNFOnews.ca
Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) waves to the crowd after pitching 2,700 lifetime stikeouts in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Chris Sale dominates with 7 shutout innings as the Braves rout the Rangers 15-1 | iNFOnews.ca
The Texas Rangers speak with pitcher Emiliano Teodo on the mound in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

The Associated Press


The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.