Sale focused on Game 5
But there’s plenty more to talk about
LOS ANGELES – Once this World Series is over and the Red Sox return to their families after either a duck boat parade or a sober locker cleaning session at Fenway Park, there’s going to be a lot of conversations about Chris Sale. As in, what’s the state of his left shoulder? As in, what exactly happened in the second half of his season, when he could still dominate for the most part but for the most part he simply could not pitch that much: just 17 innings over five starts in August and September. The substance, nature and tone of that conversation is going to very much hinge on what happens Sunday night in Game 5, which will be the last start of Sale’s 2018 season. The long-term discussion about the status of Sale’s health will be one angle, with all eyes on how deep Sale can go and how effective he can be. Then there’s the more pressing issue of how does he impact the Red Sox in this World Series? When Sale sat down to speak with the media Saturday afternoon before Game 4, neither he or anybody else could say if he was gong to be pitching in a clinching game for the Red Sox or with the series tied at 2. Sale is not big on divulging much when it comes to those two topics – his health and looking too far ahead. As for his health, he said, “I’m ready to go. I’m excited for the opportunity.” And on the potential drama of Game 5, well, Sale said, “We’ve got to get there first. And we’re focused on what we’ve got to do (Saturday night). We’ll worry about that when we get there (Sunday).” It’s way too early to begin to ponder about Sale’s legacy as a postseason starter. Last October was his first stab at it, and he was poor as a starter, much better in relief. This postseason, Sale has been OK. There have been three starts, one in each series, and one relief appearance in the Division Series against the Yankees. As a starter, he’s allowed seven runs over 13-1/3 innings, a 4.73 ERA. Overall as a postseason pitcher in his career, he is carrying a 6.87 ERA. A question about his legacy as a postseason starter would not be fair at this point like it is for Clayton Kershaw, who will be pitching Game 5 for the Dodgers. Kershaw carries a 4.28 ERA over 29 postseason appearances, 23 of them as a starter. “Very little – I don’t really care about legacy,” said Kershaw. “I don’t really care what people think of me or perceive of me. Game 5 is a very important game to win the World Series, and I’m looking forward to pitching that game and hopefully putting us in a great spot going back to Boston. And that’s really all I care about. All that other stuff, people are going to have their opinions, you know, and that’s fine. I’m not here to change them. I’m here to pitch. And all that other stuff will take care of itself.” Kershaw’s refusal to entertain talk about the future and his role in it is very much like Sale. Sale on Saturday was all about what was going to happen in Game 4 and how impressed he was by how Nathan Eovaldi was able to go seven innings in relief after appearing in the first two games. There was no hint of envy, just genuine appreciation for the effort even if the result was not what Eovaldi, Sale or anyone associated with the Red Sox was hoping for. Sale really wanted to contribute in Game 3. After Eduardo Nunez kept falling down and the Red Sox without a position player on the bench, Sale, according to ESPN.com, had his spikes on and was ready to go into the outfield. Sale did not quite confirm that. “I asked a couple of times if they wanted me to throw,” said Sale. “Obviously when Nunie went down, another opportunity came up to get in that game in a different way. Like I said, same thing what Nate did, (David Price) the same thing. He threw 90-something pitches, I believe, two days ago and put himself on the line for us. And Nunie just gutted up. I mean, like I said, that’s just the character of the team, that’s what got us here is grinding and putting it on the line for everybody in the clubhouse.” Sale never went into the outfield and he never stepped onto the mound. Frankly, the Red Sox would have been more comfortable with Sale in the outfield than on the mound. The risk of the latter would be both short- and longterm. Sale cannot deliver an Eovalditype performance. All he can do is make a start that whether he wants it to or not, affects the conversations that will be held about him beginning next week. He very much wants his start to help lead the Red Sox to a World Series win. It’s the only conversation at the moment that matters to him. But there’s a lot more to talk about with Sale.