MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Interstat) — Chris Sale pitched seven strong innings and the Atlanta Braves erupted for five runs in the sixth inning to beat the Miami Marlins 9-1 on Wednesday night at loanDepot Park.

Sale, who improved to 7-3, allowed four hits and one earned run while striking out eight. He walked none and threw 41 of his 55 pitches for strikes, with seven balls and seven balls in play. The left-hander rebounded from a loss in his previous start against the Chicago Cubs on May 14, when he gave up no earned runs over six innings but got no support. Sale’s only blemish Wednesday came in the first inning, when the Marlins pushed across a run on a sacrifice fly by Heriberto Hernández.

Atlanta, which improved to 34-16, answered immediately. Trailing 1-0 in the second inning, the Braves loaded the bases on singles by Ozzie Albies and Mauricio Dubón before Austin Riley launched a three-run homer to center field, his eighth of the season, putting Atlanta ahead 3-1.

The Braves broke the game open in the sixth. Ronald Acuña Jr. singled, Michael Harris II singled, and Matt Olson drove in Acuña with a single. Albies followed with an RBI single, then Dominic Smith crushed a three-run homer to right-center, his fifth, making it 8-1. Smith finished 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.

Atlanta tacked on another run in the eighth when Smith reached on a fielding error by right fielder Owen Caissie and later scored on a throwing error by center fielder Esteury Ruiz.

Sale exited after seven innings, having struck out the side in the fourth and sixth. Victor Mederos pitched two perfect innings of relief, striking out two and retiring all six batters he faced. Mederos threw 15 strikes among his 18 pitches, with two balls and one ball in play. Atlanta pitchers combined for seven strikes, 41 balls and seven balls in play, while Miami pitchers recorded 15 strikes, 40 balls and 15 balls in play.

Miami starter Janson Junk took the loss, falling to 2-5. He allowed five runs on six hits over three innings, walking none and striking out two. Tyler Phillips threw three scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits and striking out two. Javier Sanoja pitched a scoreless eighth, giving up one hit and striking out one.

Otto Lopez had two of Miami’s four hits, going 2-for-4. Xavier Edwards singled and scored the Marlins’ only run on Hernández’s sacrifice fly. Liam Hicks went 0-for-3.

Atlanta outhit Miami 11-4. Harris II had three hits, and Albies had two hits and an RBI. Eli White doubled in a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth. Mike Yastrzemski was 0-for-4 with a walk, and Sandy León went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

The game lasted 2 hours, 27 minutes in front of 9,617 fans.

The victory gave Atlanta a 2-1 series lead after splitting the first two games. The Braves lost 12-0 on Monday but rebounded with an 8-4 win Tuesday. Atlanta, winners of eight of their last 11, will seek a series win Thursday before returning home to host the Washington Nationals.

Miami fell to 22-28. The Marlins have lost four of their last five and will conclude their homestand with the series finale Thursday before welcoming the New York Mets.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Atlanta Braves 5, Miami Marlins 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Atlanta a 58.50 percent probability to win. Atlanta was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 10 went under the over-under line of 7.5.