Overview

• Seattle arrives on a three-game slide and has dropped five of six on the trip, falling four games behind Houston in the AL West and holding a 1.5-game lead over Texas for the final AL wild-card spot.
• Reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale makes his second start since returning from a fractured rib, facing Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert in Friday’s opener.
• Sale allowed one run on three hits with nine strikeouts over six innings in his return last week; he is 7-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 13 career appearances against Seattle.
• The Braves plan Ha-Seong Kim as their primary shortstop after a waiver claim from Tampa Bay, and he homered earlier this week as manager Brian Snitker said he is ready to play daily.
• Catcher Cal Raleigh leads MLB with 51 home runs and ranks third with 109 RBIs, underscoring Seattle’s reliance on his bat during the late-season push.