The Chris Sale Revenge Tour hit a bump in the road before it could begin. That’s not what anyone expected from Sale in his highly anticipated return to the Red Sox in 2023.
That’s ok, though; it’s only one start. All that matters is having Chris Sale healthy and available for the next two seasons to salvage his Red Sox contract. You know as well as I do he’s as motivated as ever to earn his $27.5 million salary due him each of the next two seasons.
It wasn’t all bad, however. A few underlying numbers indicate Sale should be fine going forward.
Red Sox’ Chris Sale Not Sharp in 2023 Season Debut
Chris Sale pitched three innings in the Red Sox’s win over the Orioles Saturday, allowing seven runs on seven hits, including three home runs, while walking two and striking out six on 74 pitches (43 for strikes).
Sale allowed two home runs in the first inning, giving Baltimore a 3-0 lead. But he also struck out three. He allowed another home run, a three-run shot, in the third inning, putting the Red Sox behind 7-1.
The Red Sox eventually bailed Chris Sale out with their new-look lineup and bullpen. And with their win on Sunday, the 2023 Red Sox became only the third team since 1901 to score nine or more runs in the first three games of a season.
Baltimore put seven balls in play against Sale at over 100 mph. Five of them were hit 105 mph or harder. Two of the three home runs he gave up came on his fastball, which averaged 94 mph, and three of his six strikeouts came on his slider. His fastball generated four whiffs on ten swings. Sale’s slider generated four whiffs on five swings. Orioles hitters whiffed four times on his changeup on nine swings, and his sinker, which averaged 94 mph, generated zero whiffs on six swings.
Sale had this to say about his 2023 season debut, “I left them completely out to dry tonight. That is about as embarrassed as I’ve ever been on a baseball field. This one, I don’t have any excuse for.[…] I just sucked today.”
Sale continued, ” I’ve waited a while to pitch here at Fenway and to go out there and do that was embarrassing. Luckily for myself, we’re the Boston Red Sox. Everybody in that clubhouse takes a lot of pride in what they do. Our bullpen was unbelievable and then for our offense to come back, that’s a deep hole to dig yourself out of. And they did it.”
Sale pitches again on April 6 vs. the Detroit Tigers.
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