Dominic Smith homers and Braves back Chris Sale with 19 hits in 13-1 rout of Guardians

ATLANTA (AP) — Jorge Mateo had four hits, Dominic Smith launched a two-run homer and Chris Sale cruised to his third win of the season as the Atlanta Braves pounded the Cleveland Guardians 13-1 on Sunday night.

Atlanta took two of three games from the Guardians and is the only team yet to lose a series this season (4-0-1). The Braves, who got 19 hits, lead the NL East by two games.

Sale (3-1) gave up a season-high eight hits in six innings but allowed just a homer by Rhys Hoskins leading off the sixth with the Braves in front 9-0. The ace left-hander threw 97 pitches. He struck out six, walked one and stranded seven runners before Dylan Dodd worked three innings for his first career save.

Cleveland had been 4-0 against lefties this season.

Mateo went 4 for 4 and scored twice. Ozzie Albies and Mauricio Dubón each had three hits for the Braves.

Dubón was in center field for the second straight game in place of Michael Harris II, who is on paternity leave. Braves manager Walt Weiss said Harris might be back Monday.

Ronald Acuña Jr. was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a stolen base. Matt Olson and Austin Riley also had two hits apiece.

Guardians starter Tanner Bibee (0-2) gave up eight runs and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings. The eight runs allowed were a career high for the right-hander, who has made 91 starts over four years with the Guardians.

Cleveland rookie Chase DeLauter was 2 for 2 with a walk against Sale and raised his batting average to .300.

The game was held on the 60th anniversary of the Braves' first game in Atlanta.

Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (1-1, 2.04 ERA) will oppose Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (0-0, 3.38) in the first of a three-game series in St. Louis on Monday.

Braves: RHP Grant Holmes (1-1, 2.55 ERA) faces Marlins RHP Eury Pérez (1-1, 5.06) in the opener of a three-game set in Atlanta on Monday.

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

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) works against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter (24) hits a single in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Braves' Mauricio Dubón (14) celebrates his RBI-double against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Braves' Jorge Mateo (2) runs after hitting an RBIsingle in the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Braves' Mauricio Dubón (14) hits an RBI-double against the Cleveland Guardians int her second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points and the Philadelphia 76ers tuned up for the play-in tournament with a 126-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night in what appeared to be Hall of Fame coach Doc Rivers' final game.

The seventh-seeded 76ers host No. 8 seed Orlando in a play-in game Wednesday.

A few hours after the game, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Rivers was not expected back as Milwaukee's coach next season. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement about Rivers’ decision has been made.

The Bucks played without All-Star and former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, while the 76ers were without Joel Embiid after he was stricken last week with appendicitis.

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks could be headed toward a separation in the offseason after a tumultuous season limited him to 27.6 points and 9.8 rebounds in 36 games this season, by far the fewest games of his 13-year career.

Coach Nick Nurse had no health update on Embiid, yet the timeline for recovery on an appendectomy would surely rule him out of any early postseason play. Embiid has been limited to 38 games this season, with the former MVP and two-time scoring champion sitting out primarily to manage injuries to his knees.

AJ Green, who set a Bucks single-game record with 11 3-pointers on Friday, set the team’s single-season record for 3’s. Green scored 19 points and made five 3s to push his total to 232 and pass Ray Allen, who had 229 in 2001-02.

Sixers fan loudly booed Rivers — who coached the team for three seasons — even as he was recognized by public address announcer Matt Cord for making the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Cord, with one of the more recognizable voices in all of Philadelphia sports, called his final regular-season game after 28 seasons on the mic.

The 64-year-old Rivers said before the game his final answer on retirement will come “definitely sooner” rather than later in the offseason. Rivers is going into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame this summer. Only Gregg Popovich, Don Nelson, Lenny Wilkens, Jerry Sloan and Pat Riley have more coaching wins than Rivers.

The 76ers have more basketball ahead and the Bucks face an offseason full of franchise-altering decisions.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Milwaukee Bucks small forward Andre Jackson Jr., left, looks to shoot against Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Quentin Grimes, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, front right, talks with power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, center, reacts from the sideline during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, center, directs his team from the sideline during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard AJ Green, left, drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers small forward Paul George, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)