Boston Red Sox ALDS: Chris Sale introduces his dominance to October
Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale was Chris Sale in leading the American League East champions to a 5-4 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
If the Boston Red Sox are going to go deep in the playoffs, they will need Chris Sale to introduce his dominance to the month of October.
Heading into Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees, the tall, lanky left-handed pitcher was a question mark.
Due to his shoulder inflammation towards the end of the regular season, concern arose on whether Sale would be able to reach the velocity that made him the most lethal pitcher in all of baseball through most of the season.
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win
Furthermore, there was concern on how deep into ballgames he could even go. Well, Sale wasted no time answering that question on Friday night.
In front of an electric Fenway Park crowd, Chris Sale not only answered concerns about his velocity, but also his endurance.
With pitches averaging in velocity of 95 mph and later in the game reaching 97 mph, Sale put worries about his arm power to rest pretty quickly. He also sent a message to the Yankees lineup that it was going to be a tough night for them.
Staked to a quick 3-0 lead off the bat of J.D. Martinez, Sale fed off the adrenalin he came into the game with. Pitching 5 1/3 innings, the Boston Red Sox ace struck out eight, allowing just two runs on five hits. The two runs charged to him was after he departed the game.
In all, it was a typical Chris Sale game and set the tone for the rest of the series as the Red Sox were able to hold on to a 5-4 victory.
Following the game, Sale felt really good about his first postseason win.
"“I felt more like myself because I felt like this was just a normal start,” Sale said, via MLB.com. “Not normal in terms of not being a postseason start, but just like there’s no restrictions. There’s no going out to the bullpen after my start to add pitches. I knew I was going to get my 100-plus pitches or somewhere around there. That’s a very freeing feeling.”"
What was more fascinating about the power of Chris Sale’s arm was the power of his determination. He actually came up just short of throwing 100 pitches with 93. Due to the nature of the playoffs, the AL Cy Young candidate said he would throw 150 pitches if Red Sox manager Alex Cora did not pull him from the game. There is no holding back at this time of year and Chris Sale proved it.
He also proved that the Red Sox starters are capable of getting it done. Entering this series, the starting trio of Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello have struggled in the playoffs. Hopefully, what Chris Sale was able to do on an October night in Fenway Park inspires a trend of strong starting pitching performances.
dark. Next. Boston Red Sox: 4 stars who must shine on October playoff stage
Against a powerful lineup like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox pitching is going to have to be on their A-game for all 9 innings. Game 1 proved that no lead is safe against the 2018 version of the Bronx Bombers.