DENVER -- Chris Sale continued his dominance against the Rockies on Saturday, mastering the challenging hitter-friendly Coors Field while positioning himself to earn his first career win in Colorado as the Braves breezed to a 9-1 win.
Sale went seven innings and allowed one run on three hits and three walks while striking out 11, including seven of the final nine batters he faced.
The Braves led from the start, taking the early lead on a two-run homer from Drake Baldwin in the first inning. Baldwin hit an RBI single to center in the second, laced a run-scoring double to right in the fourth, and walked in the sixth, finishing the game a triple shy of a cycle.
The Braves added on throughout the game, scoring once in the second and plating three runs in the fourth on a walk, three hits and a sac fly. They added late insurance with a fifth-inning two-run homer 438 feet to center from Austin Riley and a 414-foot solo shot from Matt Olson in the ninth.
Sale is 4-0 over his last four starts, throwing 26 innings and allowing three runs in the span. His pitch count over his last four starts is 97, 101, 100 and 102 on Saturday.
The lone run against Sale came in the bottom of the third when Kyle Karros hit a leadoff single and Jordan Beck doubled down the left-field line to get the Rockies on the scoreboard.
Sale allowed back-to-back free passes to open the fifth frame, but he escaped the jam with a fielder’s choice groundout and a pair of strikeouts.
Sale entered the game 1-1 with a 1.48 ERA in five career games (three starts) against Colorado. He was 0-1 with a 1.74 ERA in Coors Field before Saturday, allowing seven hits, two earned runs, one walk and 13 K’s across 10 1/3 innings.
Sale improved to 6-1 with a 2.14 ERA through seven starts. He's pitched at least six innings in six of his outings and has allowed more than one run just once.
Saturday marked Sale’s 400th career game and his 319th start. He logged his 150th career victory Sunday against the Phillies. His five victories through the end of April were the most by a Braves starter prior to May since Tom Glavine went 5-0 in 2000.