Backed by Braves' bats, Chris Sale stifles Pirates

Chris Sale was stellar through seven innings to help the Atlanta Braves take an 8-1 win and avoid the sweep in the series finale against the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

Sale (8-1) allowed one run on four hits and struck out eight.

Jarred Kelenic, who entered the game in the game in the bottom of the first after Ronald Acuna Jr. exited in the top half with left knee soreness, went 3-for-4, scoring three runs. Matt Olson was 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs.

Pirates reliever Carmen Mlodzinski (0-2) allowed three runs on three hits in two innings. He came in for starter Martin Perez, who exited the game after three innings with a left groin injury. Perez allowed one run on four hits, with two strikeouts and two walks.

Olson led off the eighth with a 420-foot solo shot that splashed into the Allegheny River to push it to 5-1 and Adam Duvall added a one-out smash to left-center field, extending it to 6-1.

In the ninth, Kelenic hit a leadoff double and scored to make it 7-1 on an Ozzie Albies single to right field. Albies scored on Travis d'Arnaud's sacrifice fly for an 8-1 lead.

Atlanta took its first lead of the series in the fourth.

D'Arnaud doubled to right field to open the inning and went to third when Duvall flied out. He put the Braves ahead 2-1 one batter later on a sacrifice fly by Orlando Arcia.

In the fifth, Kelenic hit a ground-ball single to right field and stole second during Albies' at-bat before Albies drew a walk. With two outs, Olson doubled off the right field wall, driving in Kelenic and Albies to make it 4-1.

The Pirates opened the scoring for the third straight game of the series.

Edward Olivares led off the second with a line-drive double to left field and advanced to third on a groundout by Jared Triolo. Yasmani Grandal, who replaced starting catcher Joey Bart due to injury, then singled to left to score Olivares for a 1-0 lead.

Bart left the game after the first inning with an injured left thumb.

Pittsburgh second baseman Nick Gonzales went 0-for-4, snapping his six-game hitting streak.

--Field Level Media