Chris Sale struck out six and Ronald Acuña Jr. returned to the lineup for the first time in a couple of weeks in a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Sale made his fourth appearance of the spring for the Braves Thursday. He retired the first two hitters he faced in the first before Randy Arozarena drove a ground rule double to left-center that Forrest Wall was unable to come up with. Isaac Paredes brought Arozarena home with a single to put the Rays in front 1-0. Sale struck out Rene Pinto to end the inning.
Sale struck out two while retiring the side in order in the second. He added another K in the third and worked around a one out single by Yandy Diaz. Paredes walked to start the fourth, but Sale came back and punched out Pinto for his sixth strikeout of the game. Sale would exit and was replaced by Brian Moran. Paredes scored all the way from first as Richie Palacios dropped one in down the left field line that Luke Williams misplayed into a double.
Sale finished his day having allowed three hits and two runs in 3 1/3 innings. He walked one to go along with those six strikeouts while throwing 74 pitches.
Raisel Iglesias entered in the fifth and worked a perfect inning including a strikeout of Arozarena. Tyler Matzek was slowed earlier in the week due to some soreness in his side, but he entered the game in the sixth and was impressive recording two strikeouts while retiring the side in order.
Pierce Johnson worked a scoreless inning in the seventh and Aaron Bummer came on for the eighth. Bummer allowed a leadoff double to Shane Sasaki. He struck out Jhon Diaz for the first out before C.J. Hinojosa reached on an infield single that deflected off Bummer’s glove. Sasaki scored on a ground out by Nick Meyer to push Tampa’s lead back to 3-1. Bummer struck out Jake Mangum to end the inning.
Ronald Acuña Jr. returned to the lineup for the first time since the end of February when he experienced some soreness in his right knee. Acuña struck out swinging in the first and looking in the third against Rays right-hander Zack Littell.
The Braves finally broke through offensively in the home half of the seventh. Justin Dean worked a leadoff walk and stole second base. Kade Kern followed with a single that scored Dean to make it 2-1. Kern stole second and third, but E.J. Exposito struck out and Cade Bunnell flew out to end the inning.
Atlanta loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth with two walks and a single by Drake Baldwin, but Skye Bolt flew out to leave the runners stranded.
Atlanta managed just four hits on the afternoon. Acuña went 0-for-3 in his return to the lineup. Marcell Ozuna had a hit in three trips to the plate and is hitting .400 for the spring.
The Braves will make the trip to Lakeland on Friday where they will take on the Detroit Tigers. AJ Smith-Shawver is scheduled to start for Atlanta.
