The Boston Red Sox welcomed back their former ace on Friday night as they continued their push for the postseason. Left-handed pitcher Chris Sale was activated off the 60-day injured list and made his first start since June 1 against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. Sale had been sidelined with a shoulder injury.
“We’ve been waiting for this day,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, expressing his excitement for Sale’s return earlier in the week. “He’s been around us and he feels good.”
And Sale certainly looked good on the mound.
In fact, Sale was dominant during his time pitching. He retired the first 12 batters he faced, maintaining a perfect game through four innings. It wasn’t until the fifth inning that Kerry Carpenter hit a home run to break up Sale’s no-hitter. Sale then hit the next batter before leaving the game, and that runner ultimately scored, resulting in two earned runs charged to Sale. Overall, Sale pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing only one hit while striking out seven and walking none.
Originally, the Red Sox had planned for Sale to pitch only four innings, but his efficiency during the perfect four frames convinced them to let him continue into the fifth. Sale finished the game with 58 pitches, which means he will be able to throw more pitches in his next outing.
On the offensive side, the Red Sox went on to defeat the Tigers with a final score of 5-2.
Prior to his time on the injured list, Sale, 34, made 11 starts with a 4.58 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 59 innings. He was performing exceptionally well leading up to the injury, giving up just four runs and 13 baserunners in his last three starts before leaving the game on June 1. Various injuries have limited Sale to only 23 starts since 2020.
As Sale returns to the rotation, the Red Sox have struggled with their starters, ranking 21st in ERA (4.62) and 24th in WAR (5.5). They have relied on bullpen games in Sale’s absence and will still need to do so even with his return. While Nick Pivetta has bounced between the rotation and bullpen, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and James Paxton are the only other full-time starters.
Prior to his activation, Sale struck out 10 and pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in two Triple-A rehab starts. He is currently in the fourth year of a five-year, $145 million contract. To make room for Sale, left-handed pitcher Brandon Walter was sent down to the minors.
Despite a rotational patchwork, the Red Sox stand at a record of 60-55, just four games out of a wild-card spot as of Friday. They have had an up-and-down season, going 4-8 in their last 12 games following a strong stretch of 16 wins in 21 games.
