Travis d’Arnaud hit two home runs and drove in four runs. Chris Sale, who leads the majors with 13 wins, pitched well for five innings. The Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 6-3 on Sunday, their last game before the All-Star break.
“Travis had a great day,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. D’Arnaud also stole a base, his third in 12 years in the majors.
About Sale, Snitker added, “Talking to him, he was fine with going five innings, which worked out well. I’m glad we held on and got him the win.”
Atlanta has won six of its last nine games and took two out of three from San Diego. The Padres struggled at the end of the first half, losing six of their last seven games.
“We faced some tough pitching from the Braves,” said Padres manager Mike Shildt. “It was a good challenge for us, and I thought our at-bats were solid again.”
The Braves finished the first half with a 53-42 record, placing them second in the NL East, nine games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.
“We’ve done a good job staying in the mix,” Snitker said. “Considering everything, we’ve battled through adversity and stayed competitive. … I believe our best baseball is still ahead of us.”
The Padres wrapped up the first half with a 50-49 record, tied for second in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both teams trail the Dodgers by seven games.
Sale, who is an All-Star, allowed one run and four hits. He has won five of his last six starts.
“We had a great series this weekend,” Sale commented. “Hopefully, we can rest up during the break and come back strong. I noticed the Padres were aggressive early in the count and didn’t wait around.”
