Vintage Sale shows up
Holds LA to two hits with 13 Ks
Chris Sale’s frustrating 2019 season seemed to hit its boiling point last Saturday in New York. Some bad calls from the home-plate umpire manifested itself into a dismal fourth inning and he was ejected as he walked off the mound.
The Red Sox ace looked lost. For as bad as this season has gone, he might have reached his lowest point.
But what a difference five days makes.
Sale has since cooled off, and he responded last night with one of his best starts of the season. Even someone as critical of himself as Sale had to be pleased with this performance. He gave up two hits in eight shutout innings and struck out 13 in the Red Sox’ 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of a four-game set at Fenway Park.
Sam Travis’ two-run homer in the second and Sandy Leon’s solo shot in the fifth were more than enough for Sale, who recorded his second win at Fenway this season. The Red Sox (61-56) got back in the win column and moved within 5½ games of the idle Tampa Bay Rays for the second wild-card spot.
The night belonged to Sale, who desperately needed a performance like this. Alex Cora offered a reminder before the game of how much the Red Sox need the lefthander. They’ve been searching for adjustments in between starts, but to no avail.
Maybe, though, they found something.
Thursday provided a glimpse of Sale in vintage form. The velocity was there, the movement on his slider was, too, and he even used his changeup a little bit more. The Angels, over and over, left the batter’s box scratching their heads — even Mike Trout.
Even the two hits he surrendered were tough to come by. Shohei Ohtani hit a slow grounder down the third-base line in the first that Rafael Devers inexplicably let roll by him for a double. But then Sale locked in. The lefty proceeded to retire 16 in a row before
Trout opened the seventh with a single.
Sale saved his best for last. He responded by punching out Ohtani, Justin Upton and Albert Pujols in order, and reared back for a 98-mph fastball to send Pujols away swinging to end the inning.
It was more of the same in the eighth as Sale produced another 1-2-3 inning. This time it was Wilfredo Tovar going down swinging on a 97-mph fastball, and Sale let out a scream before receiving a standing ovation on his way off the mound. Brandon Workman took over in the ninth and recorded his seventh save of the season.