When newcomer Chris Sale took the mound at Fenway Park on April 5, expectations were through the roof.
The Boston Red Sox had shipped an impressive package of prospects to Chicago for Sale, who was supposed to be the final piece that pushed the Sox to become a championship-caliber team. He’s a Randy Johnson reincarnate, they said.
17 wins and 304 strikeouts later, and Red Sox Nation’s collective jaw is still on the ground. Sale erased any doubt or apprehension long ago. I’d say he’s the real deal.
The numbers astound. An earned-run average of 2.90. An eight-start stretch with double-digit strikeouts. 10 straight starts of at least six innings to start the season. Only two starts of fewer than five innings in 31 starts. I think he’s superhuman.
It remains to be seen how Sale will perform when the calendar flips to October. He has never pitched in the postseason. After six straight All-Star seasons (including this season) and five straight top-six finishes in the Cy Young Award voting (we’ll get to the Cy later), Sale will finally get his chance in the playoffs. When the lights are brightest and the games count the most, the Sox ace will toe the rubber. It’s bound to be electric.
As dominant as Sale has been, he alone does not deserve all the credit for the success of the Sox this season. Sure, the team is 22-10 when Sale starts. But with Drew Pomeranz contributing 16 wins and 171 strikeouts, Eduardo Rodriguez rebounding for an outstanding final month – a 1.78 ERA and 30 knockouts in 25.1 innings pitched – and Doug Fister proving a reliable replacement for David Price, Boston’s pitching has been stellar.
While the rotation has performed at a high level, the Red Sox bullpen has been downright filthy. The team trails only Cleveland in bullpen ERA, and has been lights out all season. Closer Craig Kimbrel, in his second season in Boston, has continued to make the case that he may be the best relief pitcher in baseball since Mariano Rivera.
This season, Kimbrel boasts an ERA of 1.34 with 35 saves. His most impressive mark, however, is the mind-boggling fact that in 67 innings, Kimbrel has 122 strikeouts and only 14 walks. He has allowed 10 runs all season. 10. Insanity.
It is clear that solid pitching has been key in securing a second straight 90-plus win season for the Red Sox. The years of mediocre pitching are over. Remember in Spring Training 2015, when Sox pitchers donned “He’s the Ace” T-shirts to mock the lack of a clear leader to their pitching staff? No more. Chris Sale is here, and he’s the most dominant pitcher to take the mound for Boston since Hall-of-Famer Pedro Martinez.
Going forward, question marks remain beyond Sale. The “Big Three” of Sale, Rick Porcello and Price fell dreadfully short of expectations this season. Porcello leads the MLB with 17 losses, and Price spent most of the season on the Disabled List. But if Sale can somehow maintain his superhuman performance, Price can stay healthy, and Porcello can win more than he loses, then Boston’s pitching should remain a force in the American League. Stay tuned.
Every time Sale ascends the mound at Fenway Park, he captures the attention of a nation. Red Sox nation, that is. “Sale Day,” as days he pitches have come to be known, is special. Watching Chris Sale pitch is a spectacle all sports fans should aspire to witness. He has easily captured the hearts and utmost confidence of Sox fans, and his name has been in the Cy Young Award conversation since April.
Despite his phenomenal season, Sale has tough competition for the honor. Indians Ace Corey Kluber leads the league with 18 wins and a 2.27 ERA, and has been as commanding, even more so at times, than Sale. To me, a 300-strikeout season should be an almost-automatic prerequisite to a Cy Young. But Kluber, who came in second to Porcello last season, presents quite an obstacle for Sale to overcome.
Whether or not Sale’s incredible season is punctuated with a plaque, what he has meant to Boston is indispensable. Every five games, Sox fans and coaches alike can take comfort in knowing that the ball will be in the hand of a reliable, efficient, flame-throwing ace. Sale puts up video-game numbers start after start, and he does it with a smile on his face and a team-first attitude. He’s the whole package.
On May 2, after Chris Sale’s sixth start of the season, Sox legend Martinez tweeted, “Chris Sale is already surpassing everything I’ve done.” Martinez is widely regarded as the greatest pitcher in Sox history. After just six starts, he was the first to begin the comparisons of his mastery to Sale’s. That’s no small praise.
As the Sox look toward the postseason, many wonder: Can Sale keep it up? After all, you can’t have a championship without a Sale, right?
