Dominic Smith homered and Jorge Mateo collected four hits as the Atlanta Braves rolled to a 13-1 win over the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Sunday night.
Atlanta starter Chris Sale (3-1) pitched six solid innings. The left-hander scattered eight hits, gave up one run, walked one and struck out six as the Braves won two of three games from the Guardians. Atlanta is the only team in Major League Baseball that hasn’t lost a series this year.
The Braves pounded out 19 hits as second baseman Ozzie Albies was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Center fielder Mauricio Dubon was 3-or-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
Right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr had two hits and an RBI and third baseman Austin Riley also cranked out two hits, with a run and two RBIs. Left-hander Dylan Dodd went three scoreless innings in earning his first save of the season.
Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (0-2) was saddled with the loss. He lasted 4 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs, 11 hits and one walk while fanning four.
Atlanta took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on three straight hits with two outs. Mike Yastrzemski walked and Albies singled. Dubon’s RBI double into left center field put Atlanta up 1-0.
Mateo’s RBI single scored Dubon, and Mateo later scored all the way from first on Acuna’s RBI double down the left field line for a 3-0 advantage.
The Braves started to pour it on in the bottom of the fourth inning. Albies singled and scored on Smith’s home run which pushed the lead to 5-0.
Atlanta tacked on four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Albies chased Bibee from the game with an RBI single up the middle and a 6-0 lead.
Kolby Allard offered little relief as pinch hitter Kyle Farmer doubled down the left field line and plated Albies and Riley, who singled earlier. Dubon’s single scored Farmer for a 9-0 lead.
Cleveland got on the board with Rhys Hoskins’ solo home run in the top of the sixth. Daniel Schneemann was 3-or-4 with two doubles for the Guardians.
The route was on as the Braves went up 11-1 on Matt Olson’s RBI double in the eighth. Riley’s double knocked in two runs and capped the scoring.
–Field Level Media
