The Boston Red Sox didn’t have a lot to celebrate as they lost to the Atlanta Braves, 4-2, on Friday night. While the Red Sox's vibes were down at Fenway Park, the same couldn't be said for one of their former aces.
Braves southpaw Chris Sale turned back the clock on the Red Sox on Friday night, tossing seven strong innings, allowing an earned run, five hits, and a pair of walks with eight strikeouts in Atlanta's latest win. His comments after the game also showed his elation as he reflected on his time in Boston.
“It’s like walking into your childhood home,” Sale told MassLive’s Sean McAdam. “You just have a lot of memories that you built, a lot of relationships that you still have and appreciate. Again, you just try to push all of those to the wayside and do your job; the ceremony stops at pitch one. No one’s giving in or giving up or thinking about anything other than winning and doing their job. So I kind of had to do the same.”
Chris Sale Had a Full Circle Moment After Beating Red Sox
It isn't surprising that returning to Boston meant a lot to Sale. He arrived as part of a trade with the Chicago White Sox in December 2016 and went 29-12 with a 2.56 ERA in his first two seasons with the Red Sox. He stumbled to a 6-11 record and 4.40 ERA during the 2019 season, however, and missed the entire 2020 campaign with an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery.
Availability was a problem for Sale from there as he pitched just 48.1 innings over the next two seasons. After posting a 6-5 record and a 4.30 ERA during the 2023 season, he was traded to the Braves, with whom he has rediscovered his All-Star form.
Sale won the 2024 National League Cy Young Award after going 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA. While he allowed a 6.63 ERA over his first four starts this season, he’s recovered to post a 2.02 ERA with 48 strikeouts over his last six outings (35.2 innings). Although the Red Sox helped him out by running into three outs on the basepaths, Sale was able to earn the win for his team and satisfy some nostalgia in the process.
“I love it here,” Sale said. “There’s no secret there. I’ve always enjoyed, even when I was with Chicago, coming here and playing. I spent seven years and had some really good moments, and I appreciate this place for what it is.”
After this series is wrapped up, Boston and Atlanta will go head-to-head again at Truist Park later this month, giving the Red Sox a chance to exact revenge on their former ace.