hamstring strain) was scratched for the 10th consecutive game. Thanks in large part to C Myles Turners 2.3 blocks per game, Indiana is No. 1 in the NBA with a 6.4 average.HICKORY NIGHT RETURNS:Fridays Ind

CHICAGO -- With the kind of season the Atlanta Braves are having, it figured they might hit into a triple play.But last-place Atlanta ripping into White Sox ace Chris Sale is another matter.Freddie Freeman, Tyler Flowers and Nick Markakis all homered off Sale to lead the Atlanta Braves to an 11-8 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.Did the Braves, including Flowers -- Sales longtime batterymate in Chicago -- have a special approach against the left-hander?Yeah, but I also think he wasnt as sharp as he usually is, Flowers said. These are the kind of days you hope to face guys of that caliber.The Braves might have scored more if Chicago hadnt turned its third triple play this season in the third -- the only inning Atlanta didnt score against Sale (14-3) in his five innings. The White Sox ace, bidding to become the majors first 15-game winner, allowed 10 hits -- including a career-worst seven for extra bases -- and a season high eight runs.It was kind of a weird game to start off with, but ultimately the good guys came out on top, Freeman said. We havent scored that many runs I think in a while and get that many hits.Atlantas Adonis Garcia had his first four-hit game, including two doubles and two RBI. Gordon Beckham added three hits and Jeff Francoeur had three RBI.Markakis hit his third homer in two nights to boost his season total to five. Freeman had his team-leading 15th and Flowers added a two run shot and an RBI double to help the Braves win their second straight after a four-game skid.The Braves 15 hits equaled a season high for a nine-inning game and included nine for extra-bases.Sale, a candidate to be the ALs starter in next weeks All-Star Game, admitted he wasnt himself.Pretty embarrassing, Sale said. Its about as bad as I possibly think Ive been in a while.Manager Robin Ventura noticed a difference, too.I think velocity-wise, tonight he looked mortal, Ventura said. I dont think it was as sharp and they got some good swings at him.Chicagos Todd Frazier hit his 24th homer and Adam Eaton added solo shot off Atlanta starter Matt Wisler (4-8), who gave up six runs and eight hits in five innings but got his first win since June 16.The Braves scored four runs in the fifth on three straight doubles to the wall to break a 4-all tie.The White Sox became the first team in the majors to turn three triple plays in a season since the 1979 -- when Oakland and Boston did it.With Chase dArnaud on second base and Beckham on first in the third inning, Freeman hit a soft liner that rookie shortstop Tim Anderson trapped. Anderson tagged dArnaud as he tried to retreat to second for the first out. Anderson stepped on second to force out Beckham, then threw to first baseman Jose Abreu to get Freeman.Anderson said he was part of a triple play for the first time.I was kind of like basketball player in that role, he said. It was just my instincts. It happens so fast.Chicago also turned triple plays on April 22 against Texas and May 18 against Houston.DERBY DAYFrazier, the defending All-Star Home Run Derby champion, is pumped to take his cuts at Mondays competition in San Diego. We have a little plan, Frazier said, and you look at who Im stacked against and there are some big guns.Frazier, second in the American League with 24 homers, will take on Colorados Carlos Gonzalez in the first round and hit second in the matchup, which Frazier prefers. You know how many home runs you need to hit, he said. You know whether you need to speed it up and start cranking at some point, and when to use your timeout.TRAINERS ROOMBraves: RHP Julio Teheran, Atlantas lone All-Star, was cleared to make his regular Saturday against the White Sox after being treated for an infection due to an ingrown hair on his right thigh. If everything goes well tomorrow and he feels good Sunday, hell be available to pitch in the All-Star Game, Im assuming, interim manager Brian Snitker said.White Sox: Manager Robin Ventura shifted 2B Brett Lawrie to DH following Thursdays day off to give the high-energy infielder a two-day break. He throws his body around pretty good, Ventura said. I think it can help him. Carlos Sanchez took Lawries place at second base. . Ventura said theres no timetable on the return of RHP Zach Putnam (right elbow) or 35-year-old INF Justin Morneau, the 2006 AL MVP who is on a rehab stint with Triple-A Charlotte.UP NEXTTeheran (3-7, 2.72) faces Chicago LHP Jose Quintana (6-8, 3.06) in the second game of the series on Saturday. Quintana ended a nine-start winless streak (0-7) last Sunday at Houston. Teheran has never faced the White Sox and Quintana beat the Braves in his only career start against them.Yeezy Boost China Cheap .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Nike Vapormax 97 Cheap . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. http://www.brandshoescheaponline.com/wholesale-air-max-china/max-97-clearance-sale.html .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. Cheap Yeezys Fake . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence. Vapormax Cheap Sale . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season.INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers are more than familiar with facing the Cleveland Cavaliers when LeBron James rests, so they didnt get distracted by the four-time NBA MVPs absence Wednesday night.The Pacers beat the LeBron-less Cavaliers 103-92 to improve to 3-1 at home in the past two years when James sits.I found out when Coach (Nate McMillan) came in and said, `LeBrons not playing, said Pacers point guard Jeff Teague, who had 20 points and eight assists. I didnt know, but we needed a win. We werent worried about who was playing or who was going to be on the floor, we were just going to go out and compete.Jeff Teague added 20 points and eight assists, and Thaddeus Young had 16 points to help the Pacers improve to 6-1 at home and 6-6 overall.James sat out for the first time this season. Averaging 23.4 points and 8.9 rebounds, he rested after playing Tuesday night in a home victory over Toronto. Guard J.R. Smith also missed the game because of a sprained right ankle.It doesnt matter about LeBron not playing, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. We just lost the game.Kevin Love led Cleveland with 27 points and 16 rebounds, and Kyrie Irving had 24 points and seven assists. The Cavaliers dropped to 9-2 after matching the best start in franchise history with the victory over Toronto on Tuesday night.We had our chances, Love said. We cut the lead to four or five a couple times, and it just felt like we either had a bad possession, had a turnover, and then that lead went to eight or nine points, having to fight kind of uphill to claw back and try to win the game, and it was too little too late.Indiana led 80-68 lead after three quarters. The Cavaliers cut it to four points midway through the fourth, but the Pacers put it away with a 9-2 run. C.J. Milees hit a 3-pointer for the games largest lead -- 97-84 with 5:10 remaining.dddddddddddd.Of course its different, Miles said about facing the Cavaliers without James. Were talking about him still and he didnt even play tonight. Hes arguably the best player in our game. (But) we cant disrespect anybody. Theyve got guys who can play basketball.TIP-INS:Cavaliers: Smith has missed the last three games. The last time James skipped a road game at Indiana, the Pacers prevailed 123-109 on April 6, 2016. The Cavaliers extended their NBA-record streak of games with at least 10 3-pointers to start a season to 11 games.Pacers: G Rodney Stuckey (right hamstring strain) was scratched for the 10th consecutive game. Thanks in large part to C Myles Turners 2.3 blocks per game, Indiana is No. 1 in the NBA with a 6.4 average.HICKORY NIGHT RETURNS:Fridays Indiana home game against Phoenix coincides with the 30th anniversary of the classic 1986 basketball movie Hoosiers and will be the first of six Hickory Nights, in which the Pacers will wear Hickory Huskers replica uniforms from the movie. Hoosiers screenwriter Angelo Pizzo, director David Anspaugh and some of the films actors, including Maris Valainis (who played Jimmy Chitwood) will be in attendance.SEE YA DOWN THE ROAD:The Eastern Conference rivals dont play each other again until Feb. 8 at Indiana, then Feb. 15 at Cleveland and April 2 at Cleveland. The Cavaliers have won five in a row at home against the Pacers, who have a 93-88 series edge.UP NEXT:Cavaliers: Host Detroit on Friday night, then have a four-day break.Pacers: Host Phoenix on Friday night to end a four-game homestand. ' ' '