GAME WON: FIERY SALE PREVAILS
WHITE SOX 4, ATHLETICS 3 Sox realize he has a temper but understand it’s part of what makes him a great pitcher
OAKLAND, Calif. — Chris Sale has a short fuse. He knows it, and his White Sox bosses know it.
His fans know it, too, and for the most part, everyone is cool with Sale getting hot. It’s part of what makes the perennial Cy Youngcontending left- hander click.
“I get passionate about what I believe in and care about,’’ said Sale, who gave up three runs — all in the third — over seven innings in the Sox’ season- opening 4- 3 victory Monday night against the Oakland Athletics.
“Things I care about and I believe are true, I’m going to get fired up about it.’’
Winning is first. Team is huge. And perfecting his craft is right up there for the Sox’ 27- year- old ace. When stuff interferes with those, look out.
Sale has blown up before, and he’ll more than likely fire away again. He kept it together against the A’s, but he was obviously boiling during that third inning, overthrowing a fastball or two when he didn’t get the call on a couple of sliders.
After that, Sale gathered him- self and retired 10 of the last 13 batters he faced, turning it over to the bullpen to take it to an anxious finish. He finished with eight strikeouts, one walk and seven hits allowed.
Sale was handed a 4- 0 lead in the third, the only inning the Sox did much of anything.
Adam Eaton tripled home Austin Jackson with the Sox’ first run and scored on Jimmy Rollins’ bloop single to right. After Jose Abreu doubled Rollins to third, Hill struck out Todd Frazier for the second time, but the Sox were gifted two more runs on an infield error.
Former White Sox shortstop Marcus Semien ranged over behind second base to glove Melky Cabrera’s ground ball, but Semien’s throw pulled first baseman Mark Canha off the bag, and the ball deflected off his glove, allowing the two runs to score. Canha was charged with the error.
The A’s got their three runs against Sale on Jed Lowrie’s tworun, two- out single to right and Danny Valencia’s RBI single.
Coming out of a successful spring training wanting to play a cleaner, meaner brand of ball in 2016, the Sox weren’t particularly crisp aside from Sale’s good performance.
Eaton and Brett Lawrie were caught stealing on left- hander pickoff moves to first, Jackson bobbled a base hit in center and Lawrie, playing second base, almost collided with Jackson on a fly ball.
Sale has learned to deal with his short fuse. His father, a former college swimmer and racecar driver who has similar competitive fire, often says to his son, ‘ You’d probably have more friends if you were like your mom, but you wouldn’t have a job if you weren’t like me.’ ’’ He isn’t about to change. “You don’t break new ground without pushing lines and boundaries, you know?’’ Sale said. “If you stay where you’re at the whole time, that might be a good thing for you, but for me, it might get stagnant.’’
General manager Rick Hahn isn’t about to ask Sale to reel it in. He says if Sale hadn’t stood up to Ken Williams in 2012, he very well could still be a relief pitcher, and the Sox would have no ace.
“When you see his aggressiveness or assertiveness outside the white lines, it probably becomes a bigger story than we view it,’’ Hahn said. “We know that desire to compete, that edge to stand up for himself is part of what makes him a No. 1 starter. Most all of them have that chip. It’s part of what makes Chris great.’’
“It’s just one of the things that makes people who they are, what they do and how they act,’’ Sale