Boston Red Sox: Chris Sale Hard on Himself Following Sox Debut
New Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale made his spring training debut with his new team and was not overall satisfied with his first start.
Talent set aside, the one thing to love about new Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale is his competitiveness. The left-handed slinger wants to prove to his new team that he was worth the blockbuster trade that fired up fans during the winter.
In his first, Sale showed glimpses that he is the real deal and more, but he wasn’t happy about his overall performance. Pitching just two innings in the game against the Houston Astros, he gave up two runs on four hits while throwing 37 pitches.
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Although it was his first outing and meant to work out some of the kinks, Sale made it clear that he won’t be satisfied with anything but his best when taking the mound. Even if the games don’t matter.
"“Happy? I don’t know,” Sale said when asked if he was happy about his outing, via The Boston Herald. “We got some good work in. I’m not a fan of sitting here and saying spring training doesn’t matter. You still want to get results but I felt good. The ball felt great coming out of my hand. Felt strong throughout. I was able to throw all my pitches for strikes. That was a step in the right direction for that.”"
Although he felt good and his strength was great (pitches clocked at 97 mph), what Sale wasn’t happy about is allowing 5 of the first 11 batters to reach base. He was also not happy with allowing the two runs because it equaled a run per inning and the high pitch count ultimately cut his scheduled three innings of work down to two. Sale wanted to pitch longer, but understood the managers decision to get him out of the game.
"“I racked up a pretty good amount of pitches, which is another thing I’d like to get down,” Sale said in response to the pitch count. “I’d like to go out there for maybe 13 to 15 (pitches per inning). That’s the range as a starter you like to get. It gives you a chance to finish the game and save the bullpen. This is the first time out. It is what it is. We’ll take it from what it is and we’ll roll with it.”"
Chris Sale is now focused on pitching better the next time he goes out to the mound. The amount of determination this guy has is something the team and fans should be encouraged by. He is going to be a treat to watch and it sounds like he will be entertaining following the games as well.
Next: Boston Red Sox 2017 Player Previews: Jackie Bradley, Jr.
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