Chris Sale aims to ‘keep rolling’ after win vs. Guardians
Chris Sale #ChrisSale
The Bruins lost to the Panthers 4-3 in overtime of Sunday’s Game 7, a devastating defeat in the first round for a team that broke NHL regular season records. Boston now faces a crossroads offseason, with captain Patrice Bergeron’s future as a player in question.
Elsewhere, the Red Sox topped the Guardians 7-1 on Sunday.
And the Celtics face the 76ers in tonight’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.
Chris Sale bounced back: Though it’s only May, it’s already been an up and down season for Chris Sale. The 34-year-old is 2-2 with a 6.75 ERA, including three starts in which he’s allowed at least five earned runs.
Still, Sale has shown flashes of his old ability. On Sunday he helped Boston get a 7-1 win over the Guardians, pitching 6.1 innings, yielding just one run and striking out five.
Attaining a better level of consistency remains one of his primary goals.
“I’ve got to go out there and be great,” Sale told reporters after the game. “Good games, bad games, it doesn’t really dictate what my next outing does. I have to go out there and be who I have to be every time out.”
Following his last start — a defeat to the Orioles in which he gave up nine hits and five runs in five innings — Sale explained that he had to make some changes. One particular worry was that he might’ve been tipping pitches.
“I switched up my delivery a little bit, just trying to get more loose,” Sale explained. “Trying to get a little bit more whip back in my arm. I just felt a little stiff the last few times. It was something [Alex Cora] brought up. Just need to get a little bit more athletic, get a little bit more fluidity in my delivery. It worked today, so keep rolling.”
The Red Sox are now 15-14 heading into a four-game series against the Blue Jays that begins at Fenway Park on Monday at 7:10 p.m.
Trivia: What MLB player has Chris Sale struck out in his career more than any other?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: This player, who retired in 2020, won eight Gold Gloves and played the entirety of his 14-year career with the Royals.
More from Boston.com:
Jaylen Brown on the Celtics’ preparation for the 76ers:
One more draft moment: Running back Deuce Vaughn was selected in the sixth round by the Cowboys in this past weekend’s NFL Draft. What’s notable about the pick is that Vaughn’s father, Chris, is a scout for Dallas.
Standing alongside the Cowboys’ leadership (including Jerry Jones), Chris called Deuce to inform him of the pick.
On this day: In 2006, the Red Sox rushed catcher Doug Mirabelli — who had been reacquired by the team in a trade with the Padres only hours earlier — to Fenway Park in time for the knuckleball specialist to catch Tim Wakefield’s start against the Yankees that evening.
Thanks to some local assistance, Mirabelli managed to make it to the ballpark just in time. Boston went on to win the game, 7-3.
Daily highlight: Boulaye Dia scored an exquisite curling goal to help Salernitana tie Napoli 1-1 on Sunday, preventing (if temporarily) the hosts from clinching a first Serie A title in 33 years.
Trivia answer: Alex Gordon
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The post Chris Sale aims to ‘keep rolling’ after win vs. Guardians appeared first on Boston.com.