After making just 11 starts since 2019 due to various injuries, Chris Sale has returned as a key part of the Red Sox rotation. The Boston southpaw put in good work during spring training but that all came crashing down in the regular season.
Sale allowed seven runs on seven hits (three home runs) as he labored through three innings in his first start against the Orioles. He settled down with only three earned runs in five innings in his second start – a win – before allowing six runs (five earned) in four innings while being tagged for the loss in Tampa Bay.
Those three starts had Sale starting at an 11.25 ERA entering Tuesday’s start against the Twins.
With a bad taste in their mouths after a Patriots' Day loss to the Angels, Sale pitched a gem for the Sox. He struck out 11 while walking just two and allowed a single earned run in six innings of work. While the lefthander didn't get the win in the box score, it was a big step in the right direction for Sale.
Sale joined WEEI’s Rob Bradford on the Audacy Original Podcast “Baseball Isn’t Boring” and explained why he’s staying level-headed and putting in more work after his best start since 2019.
“The more times you lift up, get all this going, figure out your release point, the better off you’re going to be,” Sale said (11:05 in player above). “I’m not saying I’m done. This isn’t ‘Oh you got a good start, cash it all in.’ It’s definitely a step in the right direction. Sometimes you put in a lot of work and get nothing in return so it’s nice to know like hey, the work I was putting in helped me get here along with all the other things and people.”
The seven-time all-star finished top-six in Cy Young voting in each of those seven seasons from 2012 to 2018, so Sale knows a thing or two about being at the top of his game. He knows how close one can be to getting back there – or falling off.
“You’re this far away from being the best in the game but you’re also this far away from being the worst in the game. When you’re at the bottom sometimes you’re not that far off. When you’re at the top, again, you’re not that far off,” he said. “You got to find it and it’s not going to come for free.”
Sale is happy with his most recent start but he isn’t getting ahead of himself.
“I don’t know what’s ahead. I could go out there tomorrow and give up seven home runs and then everyone hates me,” he said. “Any time you put in work and get good results it is gratifying but again, that’s what I’ve expected every time I step on the mound. That’s what I’m here to do. So it’s not like I hang my hat on this one any different than I can hang my hat on any other good start. It’s a step in the right direction. Again, I’m not calling off the dogs yet. It’s one start; six innings.”
Hard work paying off isn’t necessarily a sign that one can lean on that. In fact, Sale views it the exact opposite way.
“Get my throwing in. Keep staying in my delivery. Keep leaning on guys around here,” he said. “Just because you get one good result from one hard week of work doesn’t mean it’s all over. If anything it means do more of that.”
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