The Atlanta Braves opened the three-game series with the Seattle Mariners with a 4-1 victory on Friday night.
The eighth inning told the story tonight as Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Drake Baldwin each drove in runs to give Atlanta a lead they would not relinquish. With the score 1-1 to start the eighth, the Braves got a double from Jurickson Profar to lead off the inning. Olson’s single drove him in, and Albies triple drove in Olson then Baldwin helped bring Albies home.
Raisel Iglesisas came on in the ninth inning and had a 1-2-3 inning to get the save and secure the victory. Other than a deep fly ball to center from Jorge Polanco, there was little threat from Seattle.
The Braves were back at Truist Park following a long and unsuccessful road trip. Atlanta began a series against the Seattle Mariners (The Braves are 11-14 against the Mariners all-time) with a 33-33 record in their home park. Well below .500 for the season and out of the playoff picture, establishing a winning environment at Truist Park, along with the strong play of the team’s young talent, including Baldwin and Hurston Waldrep, can give the fanbase something to look forward to in October and beyond.
There were immediately opportunities to get off to a strong start in the first home game of the last month of the season. Atlanta only managed to score one run despite having the bases loaded in the top of the first inning. With two runners on base and two outs, Michael Harris, once the hottest player in the National League, struck out on a breaking pitch from Seattle starter Logan Gilbert to end the inning.
Harris came into the game tied for the team lead in RBI with Olson with 77. His 17 home runs was third on the team behind Olson (21) and Marcell Ozuna (20).
Newcomer to the Atlanta baseball scene, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, was at the plate in the third inning with Albies on third base and two outs. Kim, who played well during the series in Chicago against the Cubs, popped out to Seattle shortstop Leo Rivas to end the third inning.
Chris Sale was back on the mound for the Braves. Sale made his first start in months during the recent road trip, and he was sharp in his return to Truist Park. Through the first four innings of the game, Sale had only given up three hits and no runs. In the fifth inning, Sale struck out the side: Dominic Canzone, Leo Rivas, and Luke Raley.
Sale pitched 6.2 innings and thoroughly shut down the Mariners lineup during his time on the mound. Reliever Dylan Lee came on in relief of Sale and immediately gave up a single to tied the game at one.
After the game Sale thanked the Braves staff and his teammates for supporting him on his journey back from the rib injury too pitching the way he did tonight.
“I try to be the same guy every day,” Sale said. “It feels good.”
Asked if he was surprised Sale is already pitching at this level, Braves manager Brian Snitker said he wasn’t.
“I don’t think anything he does surprises me,” Snitker said of Sale. “I just want to see him progress.”
