Sale back to top form
Two hits, 13 K’s in shutout
How does Chris Sale follow up his worst start of the season?
With his best start of the season.
Sale looked exactly like the American League’s best pitcher last night. Bouncing back from a seven-run performance against the Cleveland Indians, he took a business-like approach to Tropicana Field, where the Tampa Bay Rays didn’t get their first hit until the fifth inning.
The second hit came in the sixth. A third hit never came. Sale had the Rays completely confused throughout eight shutout innings, striking out 13 while allowing just the two hits and a walk in the AL Eastleading Red Sox’ 2-0 win, their season-high seventh straight.
“Let’s be honest, I was flat-out embarrassed last time I was on a baseball field,” Sale said. “And that never sits right with many people, especially myself. I wanted to come back and be good for this one. My guys picked me up last time, so it was my turn to pick them up today.”
The outing was Sale’s 15th of the season with at least 10 strikeouts. He’s four away from Pedro Martinez’ franchise record of 19 with 10 or more K’s set in 1999.
Sale has not allowed a run in five of his past seven outings.
“Chris did what Chris did — what another great performance,” center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. said.
Sale entered this start having not pitched since the previous Tuesday. The extra rest seems to help: His career ERA while pitching on six days of rest or more dropped to 1.88.
“It’s not called the dog days (of summer) for no reason,” Sale said. “Any time you can get a little bit of a break, and not only that, a little more work, too. I actually threw two bullpens this week just to stay sharp and be able to fix some things that needed to be able to be taken care of. Especially this time of year, it’s nice.”
The offense had scored 40 runs in their previous six games, but manager John Farrell shook up the lineup the opener of the two-game series, and the Sox responded with just a whisper of production.
Eduardo Nunez, moved from the cleanup spot to the top of the order, had hits in each of his first three at-bats. But he was stranded after a leadoff double in the first inning, was picked off first base in the third after a single and was stranded again after a two-out double in the fifth.
Replacing Nunez in the cleanup role was Mookie Betts, who came a few feet from making his manager look like a genius in the fourth inning. With Dustin Pedroia and Andrew Benintendi on base, Betts crushed a ball just foul down the right field line, then grounded out to second.
Rafael Devers followed Betts’ groundout with an RBI fielder’s choice back to the pitcher. Rays starter Austin Pruitt allowed Pedroia to score from third base and Devers to reach when he tried, unsuccessfully, to start a double play.
Looking for more offense with Sale cruising into the seventh inning, Bradley Jr. hit a one-out single and Nunez sent a fly ball to the left field warning track. The ball was caught by Mallex Smith, and Bradley lost track of the outs and was standing just past third base when he was thrown out at first for a double play.
“That was a mental mistake,” Bradley said. “That’s 100 percent unacceptable. I have to be better than that, and I will be better than that. No excuses. Obviously you feel bad for making the mistake, but you still have to continue to go to work, and that’s what I was able to do tonight.”
Bradley redeemed himself with an RBI single in the ninth inning, just before closer Craig Kimbrel hammered this one shut by striking out the side for his 28th save of the season.