Majors’ winningest teams battle as Braves encounter Guardians

A playoff atmosphere is expected Friday as the visiting Cleveland Guardians and Atlanta Braves begin a three-game series featuring the major leagues’ winningest clubs.

The Guardians have 18 victories, the most in the American League. The Braves have 17 victories, the most in the National League.

Cleveland trounced the visiting Boston Red Sox 6-3 on Thursday, winning two of three games in the series. The Guardians have won nine of their last eleven.

The Braves are coming off a three-game home sweep of the Miami Marlins, highlighted by a 4-3, 10-inning thriller on Wednesday. Atlanta has won nine of their last ten games.

Atlanta won two of three games at Cleveland last season. The Guardians will make their first visit to Atlanta since 2016, when the Braves swept a three-game series.

The opening will feature two left-handers: Atlanta’s Chris Sale (2-1, 4.38 ERA) and Cleveland’s Logan Allen (3-0, 5.06).

On Friday, Sale defeated the Texas Rangers in his most recent outing. He pitched seven innings for the second day in a row, allowing three runs on five hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts. Sale has at least six strikeouts in each of his four starts this season.

“Our bullpen was down, and we didn’t have a lot of guys in great shape, so for him to go seven, three runs, that was awesome,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s also been very efficient.” We don’t have to take him out since he’s thrown a lot of pitches.”

Sale has 32 career appearances versus Cleveland, 21 of which have been starts, and his record is 6-8 with a 4.60 ERA. Last season, he made one start against the Guardians and won with one run allowed in 6 1/3 innings on April 30.

Allen beat the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, pitching 5 1/3 innings and allowing three runs on five hits and three walks. He fanned four. Allen has struggled with the home homer ball, allowing six in 26 2/3 innings.

After Saturday’s game, Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt stated, “He really battled. He had a difficult time getting a feel for his spin all night and finding the cutter, which has been a really productive pitch for him, but he made pitches when he needed to.”

Allen will take against the Braves for the first time in his career.

The Atlanta offense has thrived because to designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who is batting.344 and leads the league with nine home runs and 29 RBIs. He went three for four in the series finale versus Miami.

Braves center fielder Michael Harris II, who is hitting.330, drove in the winning run in the tenth inning on Wednesday.

Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson, who led the majors in home runs and RBIs last season, is in a 1-for-28 slump and has not homered since April 7.

Cleveland’s offense is paced by left fielder Steven Kwan, who has a.346 average, and first baseman Josh Naylor, who is hitting.295 with a club-high six home runs and 20 RBIs. Jose Ramirez went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs on Thursday, bringing his team-leading total to 23.