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Acuña hits grand slam and Sale beats former team again as Braves trounce Red Sox 10-2

By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. hit his fourth career grand slam and Chris Sale struck out eight in five innings against his former team as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Boston Red Sox 10-2 on Thursday.

Acuña cleared the Green Monster after pinch-hitter Mike Yastrzemski — grandson of Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski — drew a bases-loaded walk to break a 2-all tie in the sixth inning. The five-time All-Star and 2023 NL MVP connected off reliever Greg Weissert for his third home run this season and first since April 24.

Sale (8-3) improved to 3-0 against the Red Sox since Boston traded its one-time ace to Atlanta before the 2024 season. The left-hander allowed two runs on six hits and walked three.

Michael Harris II launched a solo homer for Atlanta, which has the best record in the majors at 38-19. Ozzie Albies added a two-run shot in the ninth, his third hit of the day.

The last-place Red Sox (23-32) wrapped up a 1-5 homestand and fell to 9-19 at Fenway Park this season. Chants of “Sell the team!” broke out after Harris hit his 13th homer in the seventh.

Boston reliever Danny Coulombe (0-2) didn’t get an out in the sixth and was charged with three of the six runs the Braves scored in the inning.

Red Sox starter Payton Tolle struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings. Boston erased a 2-0 deficit in the fourth with an RBI double from Caleb Durbin and a run-scoring single by Jarren Duran.

Atlanta scored twice in the fourth. Jorge Mateo lined a shot that deflected off Tolle and went for an RBI single. Dominic Smith followed with a bloop single to shallow left field that scored Albies, who doubled earlier in the inning.

Before the game, Boston placed reliever Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation and recalled left-hander Tyler Samaniego from Triple-A Worcester.

Up next

Braves: RHP Grant Holmes (3-2, 3.78 ERA) starts Friday night at Cincinnati in the opener of a three-game series.

Red Sox: Had not announced a scheduled starter for Friday in Cleveland against Guardians RHP Slade Cecconi (3-5, 5.18).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

By WTOP Staff
▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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