Chase Dollander struggles, Chris Sale shines as Braves blast Rockies

DENVER - Those anticipating Chris Sale vs. Chase Dollander pitchers' duel at Coors Field should consider a refund.

Sale was as good as advertised. Dollander was not.

In whipping the Rockies, 9-1, on Saturday night in front of 38,569 on a perfect spring evening, the Braves played like the best team in baseball. On Derby Day, they launched three home runs.

The Rockies, losers of three straight, showed that they still have a long, long way to go.

Sale limited Colorado to one run on three hits over seven innings. The lefty struck out 11 and walked three, improving to 6-1 and slicing his ERA to 2.14.

The Braves (24-10) clinched the three-game series and a record by becoming the first team in franchise history to open the season with 11 consecutive series without a defeat (10-0-1).

Colorado used an opener for Dollander again, but this time it backfired. Atlanta scored two runs in the first inning off lefty Brennan Bernardino on a two-run homer by catcher Drake Baldwin, who finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Bernardino had pitched 58 consecutive innings before allowing the home run, the second-longest active streak in the majors.

Dollander came on to get the final out of the first inning, but it was clear early on that the right-hander lacked the command that had been so precise this season. The right-hander entered the night with a 2.25 ERA but departed with a 3.38. The Braves belted him around for six runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings, including a two-run homer by Austin Riley in the Braves' two-run fifth.

Dollander's fourth inning was particularly messy because he walked Riley to lead off the frame and then gave up three hits, the big blow an RBI double to right by Baldwin.

Colorado scored its lone run in the third with a leadoff single by Kyle Karros and a two-run RBI double by Jordan Beck off Sale. The Braves tacked on a run in the ninth on Matt Olson's second-deck blast to off Tanner Gordon.

The Braves, 22-6 against the Rockies since the start of the 2022 season, will go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon.

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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 8:13 PM.