Boston Red Sox: 4 stars who must shine on October playoff stage
Chris Sale has to dominate
Boston Red Sox fans don’t want to rely on David Price and Rick Porcello to get over their playoff struggles. But, if Chris Sale is not Chris Sale, the team may have to.
Even scarier is that if Sale can’t deliver dominance on the mound, Alex Cora will have to turn to a shaky bullpen more than he may want to.
Related Story. Chris Sale key in hunt for championship October. light
Following a Cy Young worthy stretch of the season, the air was taking out of Red Sox Nation when Sale had to be shut down a couple of times with shoulder inflammation. Cora has been careful in managing Sale over the last few weeks of the season, but his velocity is a question, but hasn’t stopped the team from giving him the ball in Game 1 of the ALDS.
Like Mookie Betts on offense, Chris Sale will set the tone of the series. If he pitches well and even dominates, the Boston Red Sox will be in a good place. If he struggles and can’t get past the third or fourth inning, that puts strain on the bullpen early in the series and turns up the pressure on David Price.
Boston Red Sox: 3 keys to winning ALDS vs. New York Yankees. dark. Next
Mentally, Sale is fired up and ready to go. How he holds up could just feed off that adrenalin and perhaps a shot of cortisone. In summary, Chris Sale needs to inject his impact on the mound and get the Boston Red Sox off and flying towards the ultimate prize.