Ozuna homers twice, Sale shuts down former team as Braves beat Red Sox 5-0

ATLANTA (AP) — Marcell Ozuna kept up his torrid start with two more homers and Chris Sale pitched six innings against his former team, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 5-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox and a sweep of their two-game interleague series Wednesday night.

Ozuna hit a three-run shot in the first inning and added a solo drive in the third off Nick Pivetta, who was roughed up in his first start since coming off the injured list.

The slugger known as “Big Bear” passed Shohei Ohtani for the MLB lead with his 11th and 12th homers, and he also tops the big leagues with 38 RBIs. He drove one to the warning track in his final at-bat and heard chants of “MVP! MVP!” from the crowd at Truist Park.

Ozuna shrugged off the adulation, which is a far cry from a year ago when he was struggling badly and his time in Atlanta appeared to be winding down.

“Even if you do great, you have to be on the same level," he said. "Don't get comfortable.”

Sale (5-1) pitched for the Red Sox from 2018-23 — a tenure that began with a World Series championship but was largely marred by injuries before he was traded to Atlanta this past winter.

It was strange facing his former team, but he quickly settled in.

“I respect those guys. I love those guys,” Sale said. “But we're here to win.”

The left-hander sure seems to have regained the form that made him one of baseball’s most dominant starters. He fanned 10 for the 82nd double-digit strikeout game of his career and got a big lift from left fielder Jarred Kelenic, who leaped above the yellow line at the 385-foot mark to snatch away a potential homer by Garrett Cooper.

“I went into the offseason on a mission,” Sale said, “I got after it. I knew I had to do it this year."

Speaking of comebacks, look how far Ozuna has come. On this date a year ago, he was hitting .146 and seemed on the verge of being released by the Braves. He rebounded to post 40 homers with 100 RBIs, and he's on pace for even loftier numbers this year.

Orlando Arcia also went deep for the Braves. Dylan Lee and Ray Kerr followed Sale to complete the seven-hit shutout.

Pivetta (1-2) made his first appearance since April 3 after being sidelined with a right elbow strain.

He appeared to get through the first with no trouble when Austin Riley hit into what was ruled an inning-ending double play. But the call was overturned when the replay showed Riley getting his foot to the bag just ahead of the relay throw.

Matt Olson reached on a dribbler that went for an infield hit, and Ozuna followed with a 372-foot shot that barely cleared the right-field wall. Three pitches later, Arcia made it back-to-back homers with another opposite-field shot to right.

Instead of getting out of the inning unscathed, Pivetta found himself in a 4-0 hole — a rare slip-up by a Boston rotation that has been stellar this season. He lasted four innings, giving up seven hits and all five Atlanta runs.

“Austin beating that ball out is a huge play,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “That gives us four runs, which is pretty much the difference in the game.”

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: In addition to Pivetta returning, the Red Sox activated Romy Gonzalez from the 10-day injured list and started him at first base. He had been out since April 11 with a left wrist strain.

Braves: C Sean Murphy has been hitting in the cage as he moves toward a return to the lineup. Murphy hasn't played since the March 29 season opener, when he strained his left oblique swinging at a pitch.

UP NEXT

Both teams are off Thursday. The Red Sox return home to open a three-game series Friday against Washington, with RHP Tanner Houck (3-3, 1.99 ERA) set to face Nationals LHP Patrick Corbin (0-3, 6.45 ERA). RHP Charlie Morton (2-0, 3.50 ERA) takes the mound for the Braves on Friday to begin a weekend set at New York. The Mets will go with LHP Jose Quintana (1-3, 5.20 ERA).

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Atlanta Braves left fielder Jarred Kelenic catches a fly ball at the wall to retire Boston Red Sox' Garrett Cooper in the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora looks on from the dugout during in a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Braves' Orlando Arcia gestures as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (20) celebrates with Matt Olson (28) after hitting a three-run hom run in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Braves second base Ozzie Albies (1) forces out Boston Red Sox' Connor Wong (12) on a ground ball from Tyler O'Neill in the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Braves' Orlando Arcia slides into second base ahead of the throw to Boston Red Sox shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela with a double in the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta works the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale delivers to a against the Boston Red Sox batter in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (20) follows through on a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale delivers to a against the Boston Red Sox batter in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (20) follows through on a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

LIMA, Peru (AP) — President Joe Biden arrived Thursday in Peru to start his six-day visit to Latin America for the final major international summits of his presidency, even as world leaders turn their attention to what Donald Trump’s return to the White House means for their countries.

The visit to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru and stops in the Amazon rainforest and at the Group of 20 leaders summit in Brazil offer Biden one of his last chances as president to meet with heads of state he’s worked with over the years.

But world leaders' eyes are firmly affixed on Trump.

They already are burning up Trump's phone with congratulatory talks. At least one leader, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, is dusting off his golf clubs, in case the chance to bond with the golf-loving Trump should present itself.

White House officials insist that Biden's visits will be substantive, with talks on climate issues, global infrastructure, counternarcotic efforts and one-on-one meetings with global leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, and a joint meeting with South Korea's Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

The meeting with Yoon and Ishiba would aim to solidify the progress made since their initial meeting last year, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Air Force One. That includes tightening security and economic cooperation amid increasingly tense relations with China and North Korea.

It also would be an opportunity for them to discuss North Korean troops going to Russia to help with the war in Ukraine, Sullivan said.

He says the Biden administration is working to ensure the three-country meeting is “an enduring feature of American policy.” He expects it would continue under Trump, noting its bipartisan support, but acknowledged it was up to the incoming president's team.

Biden's South American trip comes a day after he met with Trump in the White House. That wide-ranging discussion touched on the conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon and Ukraine.

“I wanted — I asked — for his views, and he gave them to me,” Trump told The New York Post after his conversation with Biden.

Sullivan indicated that White House officials also are making clear to Trump's team that the delicate U.S.-China relationship is the “paramount priority for the incoming administration.”

He stressed the risks if stability is upended in the Taiwan Strait: “that would be catastrophic for everyone involved — for Taiwan, for Beijing, for us, for the world,” he said. “Because of the size of the risk, even if it’s not that likely, it’s something that has to be at the top of the agenda.”

Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and vows to annex it — by force if necessary. The U.S. is Taiwan’s biggest unofficial ally and is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

Trump is nominating noted China hawks for key positions: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state and Florida Rep. Mike Waltz for his national security adviser.

The White House had been working for months to arrange the meeting with Xi, whose country is the United States' most prominent economic and national security competitor.

For Xi, front of mind will be Trump's campaign promise to impose 60% tariffs on Chinese imports. White House officials avoided commenting in detail about how Biden will approach conversations with Xi and other world leaders about Trump.

Those officials say Biden also will use the summits to press allies to keep up support for Ukraine as it tries to fend off Russia's invasion and not lose sight on finding an end to the wars in Lebanon and Gaza. That includes bringing home hostages held by Hamas for more than 13 months.

Between the summits, Biden will visit the Amazon rainforest, the first such visit by a sitting U.S. president.

James Bosworth, founder of the Latin America-focused political consultancy Hxagon, said Biden will use one of his last big moments in the international spotlight “to reassure the world that transitions of power are normal for democracies.”

“Biden will get public applause and praise, even as world leaders nervously await the transition,” Bosworth said.

Biden's meeting with Xi will likely be the most consequential moment during the American president's time in South America.

Biden has tried to maintain a steady relationship with Xi even as the U.S. administration repeatedly has raised concerns about what it sees as malign action by Beijing.

U.S. intelligence officials have assessed that China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry to use against Ukraine. The Biden administration last month imposed sanctions on two Chinese companies accused of directly helping Russia build long-range attack drones.

Tensions flared last year after Biden ordered the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon that traversed across the intercontinental United States. And the Biden administration has criticized Chinese military assertiveness toward Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan.

During the campaign, Trump spoke of his personal connection with Xi, which started out well during the Republican's first term before becoming strained over disputes about trade and the origins of COVID-19.

In a congratulatory message to Trump, Xi called for the U.S. and China to manage their differences and get along in a new era, according to Chinese state media.

Biden finds himself in a similar position to when then-President Barack Obama traveled to Peru in 2016 for the annual APEC leaders gathering soon after Trump's first White House victory.

World leaders peppered Obama with questions about Trump's win would mean.

“His message was to wait and see ... because we didn’t know Donald Trump,” said Victor Cha, a National Security Council official in the George W. Bush administration. “Now we’re in a very different situation where we do know what the first Trump administration was like."

Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Lima, Peru, contributed to this report.

U.S. President Joe Biden deplanes in Lima, Peru, to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

President Joe Biden walks with Peru's Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen as he arrives at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, to attend the APEC Summit. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

U.S. President Joe Biden, left, Peru's Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen, center, and US Ambassador to Peru Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath wave on the airport tarmac ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

Air Force One takes off with President Joe Biden aboard at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, en route to Lima, Peru to join other world leaders at the APEC Summit. (AP Photo/Jessica Rapfogel)

President Joe Biden boards Air Force One, with granddaughter Natalie Biden, to depart Joint Base Andrews, Md., Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, en route to Lima, Peru to join other world leaders at the APEC Summit. (AP Photo/Jessica Rapfogel)

President Joe Biden boards Air Force One, with granddaughter Natalie Biden, to depart Joint Base Andrews, Md., Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, en route to Lima, Peru to join other world leaders at the APEC Summit. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

FILE - In this Saturday, June 29, 2019, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, left, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

FILE - China's President Xi Jinping applauds during a signing ceremony with Peru's President Dina Boluarte at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, June 28, 2024. (Jade Gao/Pool Photo via AP, File)