Braves beat skidding Twins 5-1 for 3-game sweep, as Sale notches 15th win and Soler shines

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Chris Sale delivered a stellar performance, notching his major league-leading 15th win with a six-inning outing, as the Atlanta Braves completed a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins with a 5-1 victory. Sale’s dominance was evident as he struck out six batters, extending his streak of allowing two earned runs or fewer to 14 straight starts. His ERA now stands at a league-best 2.58, and he matched San Diego’s Dylan Cease for the most strikeouts this season with 197, setting a new single-season Braves franchise record for left-handed pitchers.

Jorge Soler made significant contributions, hitting a homer early and throwing out a runner at the plate later in the game. Matt Olson added an RBI double, and Luke Williams delivered a two-run double during a decisive four-run seventh inning that broke open a close game against the Twins’ struggling bullpen. The Braves have now won nine of their last 11 games, moving within five games of the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, with a crucial four-game series against Philadelphia starting Thursday night.

The Twins, on the other hand, are struggling, falling 3.5 games behind the AL Central leader Cleveland and only holding a three-game lead over Boston for the final wild card spot. Rookie David Festa had a strong outing, striking out seven in six innings, but was left with a loss as Sale and the Braves pulled ahead. The Twins had opportunities, with runners in scoring positions in the fourth and sixth innings, but failed to capitalize.

Looking ahead, the Braves will have Charlie Morton (7-7, 4.24 ERA) on the mound against the Phillies, while the Twins will rest Thursday before Pablo López (12-8, 4.26 ERA) starts against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

(Photo courtesy of Twins/MLB)