Chris Sale struck out eight over seven innings, allowing one run, and Austin Riley and Dominic Smith each hit three-run homers as the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 9-1 on Wednesday night.
MIAMI — The Braves didn’t wait for the Miami Marlins to find their footing. By the time Chris Sale settled in after a messy start, Atlanta’s lineup had already started turning the game into a runaway.
Austin Riley and Dominic Smith each launched three-run home runs as the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 9-1 on Wednesday night. Sale allowed just one run and struck out eight over seven innings, limiting Miami to four hits. The NL-leading Braves added to their day with productive hits from Ozzie Albies. Michael Harris II. and Ronald Acuña Jr.
Sale (7-3) walked Xavier Edwards with a leadoff free pass, and Edwards scored for the Marlins’ 1-0 lead on Heriberto Hernández’s sacrifice fly. After that, though, the left-hander tightened things up quickly—he didn’t allow a hit in his final three innings.
Atlanta struck back with power in the middle innings. Riley gave the Braves a 3-1 lead with a 415-foot drive off Janson Junk’s first-pitch sweeper. It was the third baseman’s first hit after starting the series 0 for 8.
Junk (2-5) never recovered. After retiring 11 straight following Riley’s homer, he surrendered Acuña’s leadoff single in the sixth. Consecutive base hits by Harris, Matt Olson, and Albies stretched the lead to 5-1.
Smith then put the game fully out of reach with a 389-foot shot to center. The homer came after a 12-pitch at-bat and pushed the advantage beyond reach. Junk was lifted after allowing eight hits and striking out three over five innings.
Smith reached again in the eighth with a triple to center and then raced home on a throwing error by Esteury Ruiz. Riley also drew the first walk of the game against Tyler Phillips in the eighth.
The closing touch came in the ninth, when pinch-hitter Eli White—returning Wednesday from concussion protocol—doubled off position player Javier Sanoja.
Sale picked up his seventh win after losing his previous two starts. The 2024 Cy Young winner entered Wednesday having not beaten Miami in three career starts, going 0-2 with a 5.30 ERA.
Up next, Braves right-hander Spencer Strider (1-0, 2.45 ERA) starts Thursday’s series finale against Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.53).
Atlanta Braves Miami Marlins Chris Sale Austin Riley Dominic Smith Spencer Strider Sandy Alcantara MLB score