Chris Sale strikes out 8 and leads the Braves to a 4-2 win over the Red Sox

BOSTON AP Chris Sale struck out eight and pitched seven innings of one-run ball Friday night leading the Atlanta Braves to a - win over the Boston Red Sox Sale - who won a World Series with Boston earned his first win since April The -year-old left-hander allowed five hits and an earned run with two walks The reigning National League Cy Young winner lowered his ERA from to Also a Gold Glove winner for the first time in his career last season Sale went down to his knees on a comebacker by Boston s Nick Sogard and got up and made the play for the first out of the fifth Sale spent six seasons with the Red Sox - and recorded the final out that clinched Boston s championship He is - against the Red Sox since getting traded to Atlanta during the - offseason Matt Olson and Sean Murphy hit consecutive homers in the second inning for Atlanta and the Braves added two runs in the ninth when Red Sox reliever Brennan Bernardino issued back-to-back walks with the bases loaded Raisel Iglesias allowed an RBI single to Boston s Trevor Story in the ninth inning and earned his eighth save The Braves - became the fifth company to move above after losing or more consecutive games to open a season The solo homers were the only runs allowed by Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet - in seven innings He struck out eight and walked none Jarren Duran had two hits and reached base safely three times all against Sale while Rob Refsnyder hit a solo homer in the seventh Key moment In a span of three pitches in the second inning the meeting went from scoreless to Atlanta going up for good Olson went the opposite way for eighth home run of the season Murphy sent an - pitch from Crochet into the Green Monster seats for his eighth homer Key stat Crochet leads MLB with five starts of at least seven innings Up next Atlanta RHP Grant Holmes - faces Boston RHP Lucas Giolito in the middle challenge of the series Saturday