Sale a pleasant surprise in relief

NEW YORK — Alex Cora’s plan was to rest the Red Sox ace for a possible Game 5, unless the absolute perfect situation presented itself in Game 4.

Cora never planned to pull an A.J. Hinch.

That’s a reference to Game 4 of last year’s American League Division Series between the Red Sox and Astros, who were managed by Hinch with Cora as his bench coach.

Up 2-1 in the best-of-five series, Hinch shocked one and all when he turned to slated Game 5 starter Justin Verlander in the middle of the fifth inning against the Red Sox.

Verlander gave up a two-run home run to the first batter he faced, Andrew Benintendi, and lost the lead but stayed in the game for 22⁄3 innings (40 pitches) and eventually got the win in the clincher.

Chris Sale was the Verlander Cora had at his disposal last night.

Cora described the chance of using Sale as “very slim.”

“Chris, he’s been talking a lot the last two days, about possible scenarios, I don’t know,” said Cora. “He’s ready to go Game 5. Everything has been regular, not a long bullpen, for what I understand, but he feels he can pitch today. I don’t know. We’ll see. We talk about it, and I talked to (pitching coach) Dana (Levangie), we’ll sit down after batting practice, it would have to be something that is too perfect.”

The situation must have been perfect last night in the Bronx.

Sale, who was projected to start Game 5 against the Yankees, started to warm up in the top of the eighth last night with the Red Sox up, 4-1, at Yankee Stadium.

He took the mound in the bottom of the inning and retired the Yankees 1-2-3 while using just 13 pitches. Sale struck out Aaron Hicks looking. Pinch-hitter Andrew McCutchen grounded out and Gleyber Torres flied out.

This set the stage for Craig Kimbrel to close out the game in the ninth as the Red Sox held on for a 4-3 win to wrap up the ALDS and advance to the League Championship Series against the Astros.

Before the game, Cora agreed that as a manager of a team with two shots at a playoff series clincher, it would be impossible not to play mind games as the chances of a Game 5 either ebbed or flowed.

“Mentally, you can’t. Don’t get ahead of yourself,” said Cora. “It’s not just another game, let’s be honest, but if you stay in the moment, you’re going to be fine. If you start thinking ‘what if, you know, if I do this, what happens later on?’ No, no. Just stay in the moment, win every pitch. At the end of the night, we’ll know.”

Cora did have a fresh bullpen, including Game 2 starter David Price, at the ready last night. But it was hard to resist going back to his true ace.

“I think we’ve been aggressive the whole series,” he said.

“(Monday) we played fast, we played good defense, we put pressure on them and I don’t think that’s going to change.”

Cora has spoken often of how Hinch’s Verlander move caught him by surprise.

“I didn’t agree with that move.” said Cora. “A.J. was the manager. When he brought in Verlander, I remember it was against Benny, and Benny hits it out of the ballpark, I said, ‘Hey, how long are you going to keep him out there?’ Because I’m thinking Game 5. And A.J. goes, ‘Let him finish the inning.’ And he goes out there again, and I look at the bullpen, and there’s nobody in the bullpen.

“I say, ‘How long are you going to stay with him?’ He’s like, ‘the whole game.’ OK, you’re the manager.”

Cora smiled at the memory that couldn’t resist reliving.