Chris Sale dominates with 7 shutout innings as the Braves rout the Rangers 15-1

Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) works in the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

By BILL TROCCHI Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Chris Sale pitched seven shutout innings of two-hit ball and Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Austin Riley homered for Atlanta during a 19-hit outburst as the Braves pounded the Texas Rangers 15-1 on Friday night.

Sale (10-6) became the 27th major leaguer to reach 2,700 career strikeouts when he fanned Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran in the fifth.

Baldwin was 3 for 4 with a walk and five RBIs. His three-run homer into the Braves bullpen in the fourth gave Atlanta a 5-0 lead. Olson followed two batters later with a 420-foot shot into the Chop House restaurant in right field. He was 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs.

The Rangers had won eight of their last 10 games against left-handed starters, but they were overmatched against Sale. The veteran ace sat out Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia and was ready for Texas. He had six strikeouts, no walks and allowed just a single in the third and a double in the seventh. He threw 62 strikes on 89 pitches.

Rangers starter Cal Quantrill (3-2) lasted four innings and gave up 11 hits and six runs on a season-high 86 pitches. He was relieved by Emiliano Teodo, who permitted two runs over 1 2/3 innings in his big league debut.

All nine Braves starters had a hit, and seven had at least two. Riley was 2 for 5 with two runs. Rookie shortstop Jim Jarvis went 2 for 4 with a double, two runs and an RBI. All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies was 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Michael Harris II had two doubles and three RBIs.

Up next

Rangers LHP MacKenzie Gore (5-8, 4.63 ERA) will face Braves rookie RHP Owen Murphy (0-1, 2.25) in the first start of Murphy’s career Saturday.

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