Andujar and Rooker lead Oakland outburst against Chris Sale as A’s beat scuffling Braves 11-9

By BILL TROCCHI
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Miguel Andujar went 4 for 5 with a homer, four RBIs and three runs scored and the Oakland Athletics snapped Chris Sale’s seven-start winning streak with an 11-9 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

Brent Rooker also homered and drove in four runs for Oakland. His two-run double in the sixth gave the A’s a 10-9 lead. No. 9 hitter Max Schuemann was 4 for 4 with three runs scored.

“From an offensive standpoint, that was one of our best games of the year,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. “We obviously faced a really elite pitcher who is having a really good year. To put the at-bats together we did showed we had a really good game plan and we stuck to it.”

Marcell Ozuna hit his 17th home run and finished with four RBIs for the scuffling Braves, who have dropped 11 of 17. Michael Harris II had three hits and Matt Olson launched a two-run homer.

Michael Kelly (3-2) earned the win with a hitless inning. Dany Jiménez worked a scoreless ninth for his first save of the season.

Sale had his worst outing with Atlanta, giving up eight runs and nine hits in four innings. He struck out four and walked one. It was the most runs he allowed in a game since 2019.

“Today was almost the exact opposite of what I’ve done to be successful,” Sale said. “There wasn’t anything specific.”

Sale, in his first season with the Braves, had a 1.17 ERA in his previous seven starts. The A’s, meanwhile, entered tied for 29th in the majors in runs and tied for 30th in batting average. Sale gave up as many runs in the first inning (two) as he did in five dominant starts in May. He yielded four more in the second thanks in part to a three-run homer by Andujar, and two more in the fourth on a two-run homer by Rooker.

“We did a good job hitting mistakes he made,” Rooker said. “Obviously, he doesn’t make a ton of them, and that’s why he’s so good and his stuff is electric. He pitches around the zone and doesn’t leave a ton in the middle. That’s what makes him who he is. The pitches he did make mistakes in the middle, we were able to capitalize on them and put good swings on them.”

Jimmy Herget (0-1) took the loss in relief of Sale.

The Braves scored six runs in the fifth to turn an 8-3 deficit into a 9-8 lead. Olson’s two-run homer tied it, and Adam Duvall put Atlanta ahead with an RBI single.

The A’s bounced back in the sixth to regain the lead when Rooker drove in Schuemann and Andujar with a double.

“To get behind in the game after you had the lead and then the next inning, take it back, definitely shows the fight and the grind and the will this group has,” Kotsay said.

Atlanta threatened in the seventh, but Andujar made a running catch in left field of Jarred Kelenic’s sinking liner with two on and two out.

Oakland starter Aaron Brooks, who was in position for his first win since 2019 with a five-run lead after four innings, lasted 4 1/3 innings and gave up seven hits and seven runs. He struck out one and walked one.

Kotsay was ejected in the sixth by plate umpire James Hoye for arguing balls and strikes.

UP NEXT

Oakland RHP Luis Medina makes his season debut Sunday after recovering from an MCL strain. RHP Charlie Morton (3-2, 4.29 ERA) starts for the Braves in the finale of a three-game series.

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