Chris Sale tosses 5 strong innings, Braves avoid sweep with 5

SEATTLE (AP) — Chris Sale allowed one run over five innings and struck out nine, Austin Riley had the big blow at the plate with a two-run triple, and the Atlanta Braves salvaged the final game of a three-game series with a 5-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

The NL East-leading Braves rebounded after suffering back-to-back defeats for the first time this season with another strong start from Sale and Atlanta’s offense taking advantage of an error to score four unearned runs off Seattle starter Emerson Hancock.

“Swung the bat well, I thought. Even some of the outs were really good, so that’s a really good sign any time you get something going offensively,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “We’ve been kind of struggling to hit on all cylinders. It looked a little bit closer today.”

Sale (4-1) continued to flash signs of his former self — one of the most dominant lefties in the game before injuries sidetracked his career. He used his assortment of arm angles and pitch shapes to reach a season high in strikeouts while scattering six hits. The only run Sale allowed came with two outs in the fifth inning on Jorge Polanco’s blooper.