Chris Sale struck out 11 on Thursday while throwing his first complete game in seven years, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 1-0 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers to complete a three-game sweep.
Sale (13-9) allowed just five hits and walked none on a season-high 109 pitches, going the distance for the first time since June 5, 2019. It was the major leagues’ ninth complete-game shutout of the year. He worked around Freddie Freeman’s leadoff single in the ninth, striking out Alex Call to end the game.
Drake Baldwin’s first-pitch leadoff homer in the first inning accounted for the game’s only run as the Braves earned their third straight one-run win over Los Angeles. It was Atlanta’s first sweep of the Dodgers since May 2013.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8) hurled 6 1/3 innings of one-run, four-hit ball and Mookie Betts had two of the Dodgers’ five hits. Still, Los Angeles saw its lead over the Braves for the No. 2 seed in the National League playoffs shrink to one game.
Nationals 7, Rockies 1
Daylen Lile had three hits including a solo home run, Keibert Ruiz hit a two-run homer and host Washington defeated Colorado to earn a split of the four-game series.
Jacob Young had a double, single, walk and two stolen bases for Washington and Brady House had a double and two RBIs. Reliever Tom Cosgrove (1-2) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings as Nationals relievers tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
TJ Rumfield had a single and four walks for the Rockies, who lost for the 82nd time this season. Colorado starter Gabriel Hughes (0-6) gave up four runs on seven hits over five innings.
Astros 5, Yankees 1
Hayden Wesneski pitched five-plus effective innings, Christian Walker hit a two-run homer off Gerrit Cole as part of a three-hit display and visiting Houston earned a victory over New York.
Drafted by the Yankees in 2019 and traded to the Cubs in a 2022 deadline deal, Wesneski (4-1) limited the AL wild-card leaders to one run on three hits in his sixth start since returning from Tommy John surgery on July 29. Walker snapped an 0-for-11 skid with a single in the second off Cole (7-7). He finished with three hits for the eighth time this season and first since picking up four on June 27.
Cole allowed three runs on six hits in six innings. Ben Rice had two of New York’s hits. Rice scored the lone run in the sixth when he doubled and scored on Cody Bellinger’s sacrifice fly off Steven Okert.
Brewers 8, Mets 2
Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski won his third consecutive start, tossing six solid innings as the visiting Brewers recorded a victory over New York in the decisive game of a three-game set.
Jackson Chourio went 4-for-5 with a pair of two-run homers and a stolen base for the Brewers, who have won eight of 11. Milwaukee’s Andrew Vaughn had two hits, including an RBI single, while David Hamilton and Joey Ortiz also finished with two hits. Misiorowski (14-5) surrendered two runs on two hits.
New York starter Sean Manaea (4-6) allowed six runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. The Mets have dropped consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 11-12.
Giants 6, Diamondbacks 1
Drew Gilbert led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run, Landen Roupp combined with three relievers on a six-hitter and host San Francisco downed Arizona.
Roupp (8-13) permitted one run and four hits in five innings. The Giants’ bullpen combined for four shutout innings after allowing seven runs in the ninth during a 10-9 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.
Gabriel Moreno homered for the Diamondbacks, who had won five of their previous seven games. Jose Cabrera (0-3) yielded two runs on three hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Cardinals 7, Orioles 5
Rookie Blaze Jordan blasted a three-run homer before leaving with an injury and Gordon Graceffo tossed three perfect innings in a spot start, helping St. Louis beat visiting Baltimore to snap a five-game skid.
Former Oriole Ramon Urias hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who averted a three-game sweep. Luis Gastelum (4-3) tossed 1 1/3 perfect innings, and Riley O’Brien pitched the ninth for his 34th save.
Coby Mayo socked a three-run homer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand had two hits and two RBIs for Baltimore. Trevor Rogers (9-9) gave up six runs on seven hits over five innings.
Royals 13, Blue Jays 2
Jac Caglianone homered and had career highs of five hits and six RBIs as visiting Kansas City defeated Toronto for its 10th win in 11 games.
Vinnie Pasquantino also homered and had three RBIs for the Royals, and Carter Jensen added a homer in the rubber match of the three-game series. Noah Cameron (9-8) gave up two runs on six hits in six innings.
George Springer hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays. Spencer Arrighetti (7-7) allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits in four innings.
