The talk going into Tuesday's Red Sox home opener for Chris Sale was his velocity following his last start when he threw 25 four-seam fastballs, averaging 89.1 mph, the lowest velocity for any of his 289 career starts.
It was revealed before the game he was battling a stomach illness during that start, which likely explained the lack of velocity.
Sale backed that up by averaging 91.8 miles per hour on his 26 four-seam fastballs thrown against the Blue Jays Tuesday afternoon with temperatures in the mid-40s, except the results weren't there. It's also worth noting Sale finally got a swing and miss on his fastball -- his 83rd fastball of the season.
After allowing one run on three hits over six innings of work against the A's despite the lack of velocity, Sale allowed five runs on seven hits in just four innings of work against the Jays on Tuesday. Things were going fine until the third inning when he allowed two runs and then things really fell apart in the fourth inning when he allowed three. One of the runs came on a Randal Grichuk steal of home.
That would be Sale's last inning, as for the second time in his three starts this season he failed to make it to the fifth inning. Before getting injured last season, Sale didn't make it to the fifth inning in just one game.
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