Chris Sale strikes out 11 in 5-hit shutout as Braves beat Yamamoto and Dodgers 1-0 for 3-game sweep

ATLANTA (AP) — Chris Sale struck out 11 in a five-hit shutout, Drake Baldwin launched a leadoff homer against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the Atlanta Braves edged the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 on Thursday night to complete a three-game sweep.

Sale (13-9) threw 80 of his 109 pitches for strikes and did not walk a batter, lowering his ERA to 2.06 with his first complete game in more than seven years. The 10-time All-Star posted his fourth double-digit strikeout game this season and the 95th of his career, which ranks seventh in major league history.

Fans in the sellout crowd of 39,650 cheered when the left-hander strolled out to the mound for the ninth inning even though relievers were ready in the Atlanta bullpen. Braves manager Walt Weiss stuck with his 37-year-old ace after Freddie Freeman singled leading off the ninth.

Teoscar Hernández popped out, pinch-runner Alek Thomas was out at second on Miguel Rojas’ fielder’s-choice grounder and Sale struck out Alex Call for his 17th complete game and first since 2019 with Boston at Kansas City.

It was Sale’s fourth career shutout and first since that three-hitter against the Royals on June 5, 2019. Sale threw a 100.1 mph fastball to Shohei Ohtani in the third, reaching triple digits on a pitch for the first time since July 2018 with the Red Sox.

Baldwin lined the first pitch from Yamamoto (12-8) into the right-field Chop House restaurant. It was Baldwin’s fourth leadoff shot this season and 22nd homer overall. Yamamoto allowed only four hits with eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

The NL East-leading Braves won the season series 5-1 against the Dodgers, who sit atop the NL West.

Braves shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, hitting .078, was rewarded with a start after his game-winning, pinch-hit single with two outs in the ninth inning of Wednesday night’s 6-5 win over the Dodgers. Kim singled and stole second base in the third.

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Dodgers: LHP Tarik Skubal (8-7, 2.91 ERA) will make what is expected to be an emotional Detroit homecoming when he starts Friday night’s series opener at the Tigers.

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