Miguel Andujar had a fantastic game, going 4 for 5 with a home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored as the Oakland Athletics ended Chris Sale’s seven-game winning streak with an 11-9 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Brent Rooker also hit a home run and brought in four runs for Oakland. His two-run double in the sixth inning gave the A’s a 10-9 lead. Max Schuemann, batting ninth, had a perfect day at the plate, going 4 for 4 with three runs scored.
“Offensively, that was one of our best games of the year,” said Oakland manager Mark Kotsay. “We were up against a top-tier pitcher who’s having a great season. The way we approached our at-bats showed we had a solid game plan, and we executed it well.”
Marcell Ozuna hit his 17th home run and ended with four RBIs for the struggling Braves, who have lost 11 of their last 17 games. Michael Harris II had three hits, and Matt Olson added a two-run homer.
Michael Kelly (3-2) got the win with a hitless inning, while Dany Jiménez pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first save of the season.
Sale had a rough outing, giving up eight runs and nine hits in four innings, his worst performance since joining the Braves. He had a 1.17 ERA in his previous seven starts. The A’s, who ranked near the bottom in runs and batting average, capitalized on Sale’s rare struggles.
Andujar’s three-run homer in the second inning and Rooker’s two-run homer in the fourth contributed to Sale’s tough day.
“We did a good job hitting the mistakes he made,” said Rooker. “He doesn’t make many, which is why he’s so good. But when he did, we took advantage and got some good hits.”
