AP Sports Preview SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Interstat) — The Atlanta Braves host the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night at Truist Park, with first pitch scheduled for 7:20 p.m. under cloudy skies and temperatures near 73 degrees. Atlanta (29-13) holds the best record in the National League and leads the NL East by 4½ games. The Cubs (27-15) are second in the NL Central, 2½ games behind Milwaukee. Left-hander Chris Sale (6-2, 2.89 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Cubs. The veteran has won his past three decisions and struck out 58 in 53 innings. Rookie right-hander Ben Brown (1-1, 4.15) also is listed as a probable pitcher for Chicago, but Sale is expected to get the call against a Braves lineup that leads the majors in runs per game. Atlanta has not announced a starting pitcher. Two players bear watching. For Chicago, left-handed reliever Ryan Rolison has been effective in limited duty. In his past seven appearances spanning 10⅓ innings, Rolison has allowed four earned runs and struck out 12. He tossed 1⅔ scoreless innings with two strikeouts Tuesday against the Braves. For Atlanta, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski has been hot. He went 2 for 2 with a home run and three RBIs in Tuesday’s 5-2 win over the Cubs. Over his past six games, Yastrzemski is batting .350 with two homers. The teams split the first two games of this four-game set. Atlanta won 5-2 on Tuesday, and the Cubs won 1-0 on Wednesday in a game called after five innings due to rain. The Braves have won six of their past eight overall, while the Cubs have lost three of four. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-6 Braves victory. Atlanta is a -1.5 run-line favorite, and the over/under is 7½. Chicago begins a crosstown series at the Chicago White Sox on Friday, followed by a six-game homestand against Milwaukee and Houston. Atlanta hosts Boston for three games starting Friday before a four-game trip to Miami.