The Atlanta Braves took the second game of their three game set with the visiting Chicago Cubs by a wide margin, 7-0. Chris Sale tossed a dazzling seven innings of shutout baseball, continuing the dominance of the Atlanta pitching staff over the Chicago lineup. The second straight shutout gives the Braves their sixth win in their last seven tries.
Jameson Taillon lasted only four innings in this one, allowing seven runs before getting chased from the mound. Taillon had been great in his first four outings of the year, but taking on the vaunted Atlanta lineup proved to be a bump in the road for the veteran right-hander. The Cubs hitters continue to struggle, only managing to produce three runs in their last 27 innings.
Atlanta Braves Bats Explode in Fourth
The offense for the Atlanta Braves started quickly on Tuesday night. After retiring Ronald Acuna Jr., Chicago Cubs starter Jameson Taillon gave up back-to-back singles before Matt Olson belted an RBI double to get the Braves on the board. Taillon got out of the inning without any more damage but the first frame was a sign of things to come later in the game.
Michael Harris II opened the fourth inning for the Atlanta Braves with a solo home run to center field off a breaking ball that made it a 2-0 ball game, and it escalated from there. The Atlanta hitters weren’t the only issue for the 32-year-old Taillon, as his fielding and control contributed to the six-run fourth. Taillon couldn’t grasp a come-back grounder, and Orlando Arcia reached after the home run. After Jarred Kelenic reached on a single, Taillon walked Zack Short and threw a wild pitch that allowed Arcia to come in and score.
The control issues did not stop there as Ozzie Albies got walked, and the bases were loaded yet again for the heart of the Atlanta Braves order. One of the NL’s best hitters early in 2024, Marcell Ozuna, just missed busting the game wide open, coming mere feet short of a grand slam but driving in a run with a sacrifice fly. Matt Olson left nothing up to chance with his at-bat. The struggling lefty slugger launched a 432-foot home run to give the Braves a 7-0 lead that would carry them through the rest of the game.
Sale Mystifies Chicago Cubs Batters
Chris Sale took the mound for the Atlanta Braves and found more success than his counterpart. Sale surrendered only two baserunners over his seven innings of work, both on hits. Sale had the Chicago Cubs baffled all night, yielding swings and misses on fastballs elevated in and above the zone and on sliders to his glove side to both righties and lefties. Sale threw 92 pitches in his seven innings, punching out nine Cubs.
For Sale, this is just the latest sparkling outing of his 2024. In what is potentially a contract year for the veteran southpaw, Sale has dominated for the Atlanta Braves. The victory gives him his sixth of the season against just one loss, and his ERA drops to 2.54. To relieve Sale, Aaron Bummer and Jackson Stephens each tossed a scoreless inning to complete the shutout and finish off the victory for the Atlanta Braves.
Looking Ahead
The three-game set between the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs wraps up Wednesday night. The Cubs will try to salvage one game in the series, throwing Javier Assad on the bump for the finale. The right-hander has an impressive 1.70 ERA so far this season and hopes to give the Cubs a win over Atlanta, something that Shota Imanaga could not do in the first game of this series.
The Atlanta Braves will go for the sweep on Wednesday night and secure their seventh win in their last eight tries. The wily veteran Charlie Morton will take the mound for the Braves. Morton is 3-0 with a 3.14 ERA in 2024.
It’s unknown if Austin Riley or Nico Hoerner will be available for Wednesday’s nightcap. Riley missed the first two games of the series with left-side tightness, and Hoerner had a late scratch on Tuesday due to hamstring tightness.
Wednesday night’s game has a scheduled first pitch time of 6:20 PM CST.
For More Great Sports News and Content
Also Read: Tigers Soar Past Marlins in Victory on May 13 , Pittsburgh Pirates Phenom Strikes Out 7 In Professional Debut , Los Angeles Starting Pitcher With Weak Showing In 2 Starts Since Returning
New on MLB: MLB Makes Shocking Decision Regarding Marquee Package For 2024 Season
