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Chris Sale

Friday Night at The Fens

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A battle of ace left-handers is on tap for Friday night as Garrett Crochet’s Boston Red Sox face old friend Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game weekend series in Boston.

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“It’s going to be a fun night,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.. “Obviously, hate to face Chris, but it’s what we have. I think it’s going to be a special night for him coming back to Fenway to pitch and I know Garrett is excited about it, too.”

Crochet (4-2, 1.93 ERA) was hard on his own performance after the first few starts of his Red Sox career, but he has returned to his ace-level form of late while allowing just four runs across his last three starts.

On Saturday, the 26-year-old Crochet scattered seven hits and struck out nine across seven innings of one-run ball in a 10-1 win at Kansas City, ending the Royals’ seven-game win streak.

“You saw the punch-outs. I think the action of his pitches were better than the last few starts. He gave us more than enough,” Cora said. “That’s what he’s here for.”

Boston will be looking for another streak breaking performance from Crochet after losing back-to-back one-run games — 10-9 (11 innings) on Tuesday and 6-5 on Wednesday — at the end of a road series sweep by the Detroit Tigers.

The Red Sox have taken five of their last seven losses by one run and are just 4-12 in such games this season. After a leaping Wilyer Abreu assisted on Ceddanne Rafaela’s catch to rob a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, the Tigers walked off for the second straight night on Wednesday.

“We’re definitely underperforming what we think we can do,” relief pitcher Liam Hendriks said. “There have been a lot of games we think we should have been able to take. Now, it’s a matter of turning those games we’re not supposed to win into wins. That’ll flip the script.”

With the Chicago White Sox, Crochet’s first and only career start against Atlanta was on April 2, 2024. He earned the win after allowing just one run in seven innings, striking out eight.

The Braves arrive in Boston having taken three of four in their previous series against their National League East rival Washington Nationals, including a 5-2 Thursday win.

Rookies were the story for Atlanta as it wrapped up the series, as catcher Drake Baldwin went 3-for-4 with an RBI and AJ Smith-Shawver allowed just one unearned run in six innings.

“That’s the cool thing about this, when you can develop guys and they come up,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “You’re proud of those guys when they can handle themselves like this, and they’re both handling it great.”

After spending 2017-23 in Boston, Sale (1-3, 3.97 ERA) makes his second start against the Red Sox since he was traded away in December 2023. He struck out 10 in six scoreless innings in a 5-0 home win on May 8, 2024.

For his entire career, Sale is 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA in 11 appearances (six starts) against Boston.

Sale struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings on Sunday at Pittsburgh after fanning 10 in each of his two prior starts.

Those outings have been crucial as the Braves pitch without Spencer Strider, who is expected back from a right hamstring injury next week at Washington. Fellow starter Bryce Elder was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett after Thursday’s game.

“We got three more days now in this 17-game run (without an off day) and you need good starts so you’re not doing the roster gymnastics and all that kind of stuff,” Snitker said. “Starters have been a key to this little stretch we’re in.”

–Field Level Media

Red Sox: Sale Back to IL

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox placed oft-injured left-handed pitcher Chris Sale on the 15-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation on Friday.

Sale left his start Thursday night against the Cincinnati Reds after 3 2/3 innings due to soreness in his pitching shoulder. He had allowed one run on five hits while walking one and striking out six.

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Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sale had an MRI Friday morning and the results were not back yet.

Since making at least 25 starts in each of his first three seasons with Boston, Sale’s career has been riddled with injuries. Thursday marked just his 22nd start since the beginning of the 2021 season, after he missed the entirety of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Last season was also a disaster, as Sale began 2022 on the 60-day injured list due to a rib stress fracture. He returned in July, only to fully get through one start. In his second outing, Sale took a come-backer on the mound and fractured the pinkie finger on his pitching hand.

The Red Sox then announced in August that Sale had surgery on his right wrist after a biking accident.

“It sucks,” Sale told reporters in Boston Friday. “I was actually kind of getting used to sitting in front of you guys talking about good stuff. It’s been a rocky road. I felt like I was over the hump. I really did. I felt like I was back to being myself. And for something like this to happen, it’s obviously deflating.”

Sale is 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA in 11 starts this season. He’s thrown 71 strikeouts to just 15 walks in 59 innings.

In a corresponding move, Boston reinstated right-handed starter Corey Kluber from the paternity list.

–Field Level Media

Can Sale Break Losing Streak

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BOSTON – In the first week when the Boston Red Sox have the local sports scene to themselves, after the NBA’s Boston Celtics took a disappointing exit in Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, the Sox dropped two games to the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

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That’s not what Boston sports fans had in mind as their baseball team returned from a lengthy road trip.

However, the Sox like what they’ve been getting from SP Chris Sale lately. The left-hander now gets an opportunity to end the team’s three-game losing streak when he starts against the visiting Cincinnati Reds tonight.

Sale, an All-Star every year from 2012 to 2018, has battled injuries during the last three seasons that limited him to 48 1/3 innings on the mound during that stretch, but he has looked like his former self during his past five starts. He went 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA in those five outings, striking out 35 and walking four in 32 1/3 innings.

“I feel like I’m trending in a good direction,” Sale said following his latest start, when he pitched five innings of one-run ball during a 7-2 triumph against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. “I’ve been around here too long to feel like I’m on top of a mountain and all, and I’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Sale (5-2, 4.72 ERA) had an 11.25 ERA after his first three starts of the season, and he had allowed 25 baserunners in 12 innings. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the turning point came after Sale tweaked his delivery before he faced the Baltimore Orioles in his fifth start of the season on April 24.

Tonight will mark Sale’s first career appearance against Cincinnati.

“I’m going out there and having fun again — and not throwing every pitch with three years of hate behind it,” Sale told USA Today. “I’m going out there with the attitude that today is a new day. Take it for what it is. Appreciate it, because I sure know it can be taken away.”

Hunter Greene (1-4, 4.18 ERA) will take the mound for the Reds, who have won the first two games of the three-game series and are riding a five-game winning streak.

The 23-year-old right-hander was stellar in his latest outing, when he didn’t allow a hit in six innings to help the Reds defeat the Chicago Cubs 9-0 on Friday. He struck out 11 and walked two.

Greene has made one career start against the Red Sox — one year ago to the day. He took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings as Boston won 7-1. Greene struck out seven and didn’t allow a run in the first three innings of that game, but the Red Sox chased him by scoring four times in the fourth.

The Reds hung on to beat the Red Sox 9-8 on Tuesday, then rallied from a 3-1 deficit to prevail 5-4 on Wednesday.

Cincinnati manager David Bell called the Wednesday win a team effort, but he singled out reliever Buck Farmer, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to collect his first save of the year.

“Everybody (got) in the game that was available, and Buck Farmer stepping up,” Bell said. “(Closer) Alexis Diaz needed a day off. He’s been pitching a lot. Buck stepped right in and showed what kind of pitcher he was. That was how it ended, but great at-bats throughout the night, good defensive plays (and) Luke Weaver with a nice start.”

–Field Level Media

Sometimes, You Just Need a Win

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BOSTON – On Saturday night, the Boston Red Sox needed a win more than Boston Harbour needed a Wynn. The Red Sox and manager Alex Cora needed a win more than Patrick Ewing and the 2021 Georgetown Hoyas needed a win. Sox starter Kutter Crawford needed a win more than the imprisoned WNBA star Brittany Griner needs a win. The Sox were jammin’ on the 4th of July, 10 games over .500. But on Saturday night, after starting AAA level pitchers for four consecutive games, the Boston Red Sox earned their much-needed win with a come-from-behind and eventually walk-off 6-5 win over the AL East division-leading New York Yankees.

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The glory went to Boston left-fielder Alex Verdugo who hit a game-tying single in the 8th inning and the game-winning, two-run single in the bottom of the 10th. The win was a step in salvaging a four-game series against the Yankees, now with a chance to split the series when the teams play Sunday night. As importantly, the big 6-5 win quelled an anger emanating from loyal Red Sox fans, frustrated with Triple A rookies staring in place of injured rotation pitchers, like Nathan Eovaldi (might be back this week), Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, Garrett Whitlock, along with relievers Matt Barnes, Tyler Danish, and Josh Taylor.

Four straight starts rather than the Red Sox feasting on opponents with ace Chris Sale on the mound. Four straight rookie starts, a mark Boston hasn’t set since the last four games of the 1945 season instead of having off-season signee Jim Paxton on the mound. Sale’s been rehabbing at Triple-A Worcester and Double-A Portland (New Hampshire), hoping to get back to the mothership before the All-Star break.

Paxton, signed for a cool $10 million a year but Tommy John surgery in April 2021 set him back until his recent trio of bullpen sessions showed glimmers of light for the lefty.Should he return to form, the Sox rotation might improve over Sunday starter Nick Pivetta, a bunch of rookies trying their best to make enough of an impact to stick in the majors when the dust settles and there’s no more need for a late-game a mound appearance by Jackie Bradley Jr. like that of  thismpsdt                                                                                                                                     on Friday night.

The Sun Came Up Again for Astros

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Just as Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker predicted, the sun came up for the Houston Astros on Tuesday morning and it set in time for Game 4 of their American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox at Jam-packed Fenway Park. After the 12-3 throttling the ‘Stros took at the hands of the Sox on Monday, all signs pointed towards another Boston victory.

Momentum be damned.

The pundits’ predictions for three straight for the Red Sox at Fenway were plentiful. Yet, experience and past results showed that one game does not a series make. Best-of-seven playoff series often have pendulum-like sways and they play with the minds of the media, the fans but not the teams and players.

Case in point:

  • Game 1: The Houston Astros won, 5-4, at home and took control of the series
  • Game 2: The Boston Red Sox won, 9-5, at Houston and escaped Texas with home field advantage in their pockets.
  • Game 3: The Red Sox lambaste the Astros, 12-3, to go up 2-1 in the series and gain control and all momentum.
  • Game 4: The Astros strike back, 9-2 at Fenway, making the series a best-of-three with Houston regaining home field ad.

Game 5 is late this afternoon at Fenway Park where the bright setting sun will cast shadows on the field, and make right fielders cringe upon every fly ball hit towards the Pru. If you ask the old Oakland Raiders of the NFL, you’ll also be reminded that the Autumn Wind is a Pirate. We’ll just have to see as Mother Nature has been kind to MLB as October 20’s weather forecast could easily be for September 1st.

Houston will send Framber Valdez out to the mound while Boston will stake its season with Chris Sale pitching the pivotal fifth game of the ALCS. Sox fans yearn for the days of yesteryear when Sale was an automatic “W,” and 10 strike-outs were the norm. Instead, we’ll see if Sale can bounce back from two subpar postseason outings, each coming after he’s battled an inflamed elbow, Tommy John surgery (March 30, 2020) and a slow return as the 2020 and 2021 MLB seasons marched on while the world battled COVID-19.

Sale’s last outing was Game 1 of the ALCS in Houston. He gave up five hits and an earned run but only pitched 2.2 innings. His first start of the MLB Postseason was Game 2 of the AL Divisional Series vs. Tampa Bay when he allowed five earned runs on four hits and lasted just one inning.

Not great.

Sale and Valdez matched-up in Game 1 of this series and Valdez wasn’t much better, allowing three runs (two earned.thank-you Jose Altuve), six hits with three walks in 2.2 innings pitched. In that series opener, each team utilized eight pitchers in another four hour epic.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora remains quite confident he’ll see a batter version of his one-time ace.

“He’ll be fine,” said Cora after Tuesday night’s Boston loss. “The way he threw the ball at the end of that outing in Houston, it was good. The way he worked in between starts, it was good. He will be ready.”

What did veteran and perfect prognosticator Baker think?

“This (series) is enjoying baseball as if you are a child,” said the Astros manager as if he were reading scrips for the motion picture, Field of Dreams.  “You know, this is one of the great things about baseball. When you’re dead in the water and things aren’t going good, and then all of a sudden, ‘boom, boom, boom,’ and you’ve got seven runs. That’s what they’ve been doing to us this whole series, and we’re capable of doing that as well.”

Baker is an amazing and respected baseball man who boils it down, knew the sun would rise once again for his ‘Stros, and that his team is close and getting closer by the game and the series.

Game 5s are a better prognosticator than Baker, however. This afternoon marks the seventh ALCS to be tied at 2-2 since the best-of-7 format began in 1985. Since then, six of the clubs that won Game 5 went on to win the pennant (all except the 2017 Yankees vs. these Houston Astros).

In other words, expect one hell of a Game 5 and to the winner … a ticket to the World Series awaits.