ATLANTA — Chris Sale pitched 6 2/3 strong innings, Ozzie Albies went 3-for-4 with an RBI, and the Atlanta Braves used a three-run eighth inning to beat the slumping Seattle Mariners 4-1 on Friday night to open a three-game interleague series at Truist Park.
The Mariners, who currently hold the final wild-card playoff spot in the American League standings, lost for the sixth time in seven games during their current nine-game road trip.
The outburst by Atlanta’s lineup made a winner out of reliever Tyler Kinley (5-3), who pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Kinley has 12 consecutive scoreless appearances for the Braves and has given up just one run in 15 games since being acquired from the Colorado Rockies.
Braves closer Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his 24th save of the year.
Sale, the 36-year-old left-hander who was making his second start since missing 62 games with a broken rib, gave up one run and four hits with nine strikeouts and no walks in 92 pitches. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, Sale has pitched at least six innings and given up no more than one run in his past eight starts.
The first four batters for the Braves reached base in the eighth inning against Mariners reliever Gabe Speier (2-3), who failed to record an out. Jurickson Profar, who finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, led off with a double, then scored on Matt Olson’s single. Albies tripled home Olson, then scored on a single by Drake Baldwin.
The Braves had been leading 1-0 when Sale was lifted with a runner on first base and two outs in the seventh. Dominic Canzone and Leo Rivas singled off Dylan Lee to tie the game 1-1 before Lee struck out Harry Ford in the first at-bat of his MLB career.
Mariners starter Logan Gilbert gave up one run in six innings. He struck out seven batters and surrendered five hits and one walk.
The scheduled starting pitchers for Saturday’s game are Seattle right-hander Bryce Miller (4-5, 5.71 ERA) and Atlanta rookie righty Hurston Waldrep (4-0, 1.01).