Chris Sale, Braves cruise past skidding Yankees

Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley homered in the first inning and Chris Sale pitched five solid innings in combining with four relievers on a three-hitter as the visiting Atlanta Braves rolled to an 8-1 victory over the slumping New York Yankees on Friday night.

Albies hit a two-run homer off Carlos Rodon's fastball on the game's second pitch and Riley hit a solo shot as the Braves jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

Matt Olson added a two-run homer as the Braves won for the seventh time in eight games.

Jarred Kelenic singled in his first two at-bats and contributed an RBI base hit in the second inning, and Ramon Laureano chipped in an RBI double in the third. Sean Murphy had a run-scoring double that plated Riley after a fielding error by New York left fielder Jahmai Jones in Atlanta's three-run fourth that knocked out Rodon (9-4).

Sale (10-2) bested his former Chicago White Sox teammate, allowing one run on one hit in five innings. He struck out eight, walked three and earned his first win against the Yankees since 2018.

Daysbel Hernandez pitched a perfect sixth, Jesse Chavez allowed a single to Giancarlo Stanton before getting a double play to end the seventh. Dylan Lee and Grant Holmes finished up with an inning apiece.

The Yankees lost their third straight and also fell to 2-6 in their past eight games. New York has allowed 32 runs in its past three games.

Rodon was tagged for 11 hits (one shy of his career worst) and matched a career worst by allowing eight runs (seven earned) in a season-low 3 2/3 innings. The left-hander was booed off the mound after allowing three homers for the second time this season.

The Braves jumped on Rodon's fastball to get the lead and never looked back. Albies blasted the first pitch he saw into the left-field seats for his sixth homer of the season, and Riley lifted a 3-1 pitch to the Yankee bullpen in right-center for his seventh homer.

After Jones hit a second-inning triple that Braves left fielder Adam Duvall stumbled in attempting to catch, he scored on a groundout by DJ LeMahieu.

Olson launched his third homer during his current 10-game hitting streak for a 7-1 lead, and Murphy's double chased Rodon.