SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Robbie Ray outpitched Chris Sale in a matchup of Cy Young Award winners and the San Francisco Giants held off the Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Sunday.
Ray allowed just four hits and an unearned run in eight innings. Caleb Kilian entered with a 3-1 lead in the ninth and gave up a leadoff double to Matt Chapman, who scored after two groundouts.
Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith singled off the glove of shortstop Casey Schmitt and pinch-runner Jorge Mateo stole second, but Kilian struck out former Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski swinging for his sixth save.
With a pair of outstanding pitching performances, San Francisco (35-48) won the last two games of the three-game series against the slumping Braves (49-33), who have dropped six of seven and 12 of 16. They lead the NL East by three games over surging Philadelphia.
Ray (7-6) didn’t permit a baserunner until Matt Olson’s leadoff single in the fifth and gave up his only run in the eighth following a fielding error by Chapman at third base. The left-hander struck out two, walked one and threw 95 pitches.
Ray also went eight innings in his previous start, giving up two hits and an unearned run in a 3-1 win over the Athletics.
Sale (8-6) struck out 10 and walked one in six innings. He allowed eight hits but only two runs, one earned.
Luis Arraez and Heliot Ramos singled off the Atlanta ace to begin the sixth. Rafael Devers reached on an infield single, and Arraez scored the first run on a throwing error by third baseman Austin Riley.
Sale fanned Willy Adames and Victor Bericoto, but Jung Hoo Lee made it 2-0 with another infield single. Sale struck out Eric Haase to end the inning.
Drew Gilbert had a pinch-hit single off Braves reliever Didier Fuentes to start the seventh. Chapman doubled in front of Arraez’s sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
Adames left with an apparent injury after striking out to end the inning.
Michael Harris II put Atlanta on the board with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Riley’s groundout trimmed it to 3-2 in the ninth.
Olson had three of Atlanta’s six hits. The Braves went 1-5 on their road trip.
Up next
Giants RHP Tyler Mahle (1-7, 5.49 ERA) starts Monday at Arizona opposite LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (6-2, 2.27).
The Braves host St. Louis on Tuesday. LHP Matthew Liberatore (3-5, 5.56 ERA) pitches for the Cardinals.
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