Sale sharp, Ozuna homers twice as Braves shut out Red Sox
Chris Sale threw six shutout innings and Marcell Ozuna hit two home runs to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 5-0 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Wednesday and sweep their two-game series.
Sale (5-1) scattered six hits, walked one and struck out a season-high 10 batters against his former team. The Red Sox were 0-for-6 with runners on base and left seven runners on base against Sale, whose scoreless outing was saved in the sixth when left fielder Jarred Kelenic reached over the wall to take away a homer from Garrett Cooper.
Ozuna was 2-for-3 with a walk, scored two runs and hit his 11th and 12th home runs of the season, most in the majors. Ozuna drove in four runs and leads the majors with 38 RBIs. It was Ozuna’s second multihomer game of the season.
Atlanta got two scoreless innings from Dylan Lee. Ray Kerr threw a perfect ninth inning in his Atlanta debut.
Boston starter Nick Pivetta (1-2) was not sharp in his return from the injured list with an elbow flexor strain. In his first start since April 3, Pivetta pitched four innings and gave up five runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out one.
Boston has lost five of its past six games.
An overturned call paved the way for the Braves to score four runs in the first inning. Austin Riley appeared to have grounded into an inning-ending double play but the Braves appealed and the review showed Riley beat the throw to first base.
Given new life, Atlanta got a single from Matt Olson and a three-run homer from Ozuna. Orlando Arcia followed with a solo homer, his third of the year.
Ozuna went deep again in the third inning, a solo shot to center field that upped the Braves’ lead to 5-0.