SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chris Sale and Blake Snell put on a pitching show Monday night in a matchup of aces before the Atlanta Braves edged the San Francisco Giants 1-0 on pinch-hitter Travis d’Arnaud’s sacrifice fly in the 10th inning.
“It was a grind from the start,” Sale said. “Snell is about as good as you’re going to see.”
Snell carried a no-hit bid through six innings for San Francisco, just 10 days after throwing his first career no-hitter at Cincinnati. The left-hander gave up Marcell Ozuna’s leadoff double in the seventh on his 103rd pitch.
Matt Olson followed with an infield single, but Snell struck out Orlando Arcia before getting pulled. The two-time Cy Young Award winner struck out 11 and walked three.
Sale fanned 12 without a walk in seven innings of three-hit ball. The eight-time All-Star threw 77 of 107 pitches for strikes and lowered his ERA to 2.61 in his first season with Atlanta, which won for only the second time in nine tries and moved a game ahead of the New York Mets for the final National League wild card.
It was the left-hander’s 94th career double-digit strikeout game. The combined 33 strikeouts marked the most by two starting pitchers in the history of Oracle Park.
“Sale’s effort tonight really got us going,” Braves closer Raisel Iglesias said through a translator. “I just think it was a really good outing. It could be one of those things where it gives us a little bit of a push moving forward.”
Sean Murphy’s leadoff single against Taylor Rogers (1-4) in the 10th sent Arcia, the automatic runner, from second base to third. He scored on d’Arnaud’s sac fly to right field.
Iglesias (2-1) struck out four in two perfect innings for the win.
“He doesn’t flinch in those situations,” Sale said. “That’s why everyone in here trusts him. That’s why we love him here. Anytime he’s got the ball, you can’t have much more confidence in a closer than we have in him. We don’t win that game without him.”
San Francisco put runners at the corners in the first against Sale but couldn’t score.
Atlanta bounced back after blowing a six-run lead late in Sunday’s 9-8 loss at last-place Colorado.
“It’s as good a guy to have on the mound after a game like yesterday, that’s for sure,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s given us a chance to win every time he’s been out there.”
Snell exited to a standing ovation from the crowd of 30,184. He has a 0.99 ERA in seven starts since coming off the injured list, allowing only 14 hits while striking out 60 in 45 1/3 innings. But he’s winless against the Braves in his career.
Randy Rodríguez relieved Snell and struck out two consecutive batters to keep the game scoreless.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: LHP A.J. Minter was placed on the 15-day injured list with left hip inflammation, an injury that has plagued him this season and caused him to miss more than a month. … Ramón Laureano (right heel soreness) started in center field.
Giants: INF Thairo Estrada is gradually easing into on-field practices after being sidelined with a left wrist sprain at the end of June. He is expected to return before the end of this month.
UP NEXT
The teams resume their four-game series Tuesday night.
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