PHILADELPHIA — Chris Sale became the fastest pitcher to reach 2,500 strikeouts, pitched six scoreless innings, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-3 on Thursday night to split a doubleheader.
The Phillies won the afternoon game 5-4.
Sale (3-3) struck out Edmundo Sosa in the sixth inning for his eighth strikeout to reach the milestone. He did it in 2,026 innings, surpassing the record of 2,107 2/3 set by Randy Johnson.
Sale became the 40th pitcher in major league history to reach 2.500 strikeouts and joined Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer as the only active pitchers to have reached that mark.
Sosa was the last hitter Sale faced. He allowed just two hits in six shutout innings.
Austin Riley had a double, a homer, and four RBI, Ozzie Albies homered and drove in three, and Luke Williams had a pair of RBI for the Braves, who snapped a three-game losing skid.
Zack Wheeler (6-2) allowed six runs in 5 1/3 innings for the Phillies, who lost for just the second time in their last 13 games.
