SWFL takeover: Chris Sale, Shane McClanahan, Josh Winckowski, Kutter Crawford pitching in Tampa

ST. PETERSBURG – Southwest Florida will be well represented this week in Tampa Bay.

All four pitchers in Major League Baseball with local ties — Chris Sale (FGCU), Shane McClanahan (Cape Coral), Josh Winckowski (Cypress Lake/Estero), and Kutter Crawford (FGCU) will be pitching in the series between the Rays and Boston Red Sox, which runs through Thursday.

More: Estero High alum Josh Winckowski made his MLB debut Saturday starting for the Red Sox

More: Cape Coral product Shane McClanahan makes first All-Star Game after strong first half

McClanahan and Winckowski, once in the same organization on the travel circuit with SWFL Baseball, will face Wednesday night with plenty of family and friends in attendance.

Tampa Bay Rays’ Shane McClanahan throws during the fourth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati, Friday, July 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)

The two have faced once before, but it’s been over eight years on April 4, 2014. McClanahan was a junior at Cape Coral, while Winckowski was a sophomore at Cypress Lake. McClanahan went six innings, allowing one hit, one run, and two walks while striking out 11 in a 2-1 win.

“It’s definitely a pretty cool thing,” said Winckowski, who is 3-3 with a 4.35 ERA this season. “I think I was a sophomore at the time, and he was a junior, and it was pretty obvious that he had next-level stuff ahead of him. It was pretty likely he would be doing what he’s doing today, so a pretty cool thing that we both capitalized on it and made it happen. Obviously, the stakes will be a little bit higher this time.”

Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Winckowski pitches against the Tigers during the third inning Monday night at Fenway Park.

Island Coast coach Clint Montgomery has been a mainstay within the SWFL Baseball organization for years. He had the chance to coach McClanahan and Winckowski, despite the two attending different schools in Lee County just under a decade ago. Montgomery highlighted the differences in paths for both pitchers, with McClanahan hitting a late growth spurt while Winckowski’s velocity showed at an early age.

“It was special back then,” Montgomery said. “Both those guys, we had really good teams, especially Shane’s. Shane, you just saw a guy who was a competitor. When he first got to us, he was not who he is today. He was short, small, and he hit that growth spurt which has been well documented. Even before he got the really good stuff, he was just a competitor.”

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McClanahan has blossomed in his first full season in the majors, being named an All-Star for the first time Sunday, and is being mentioned for the Cy Young Award as the league’s best pitcher. He’s compiled a 9-3 record with a 1.73 ERA and .81 WHIP with 141 strikeouts in 104.1 innings.

“Winckowski, on the other hand, he had stuff at a young age. He was tall, lean, high 80s, touching 90 at 16 years old. Both guys were a little bit different, but you could see the makeup in both.”

ALCS Game 5: Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale ends the fourth inning with a strikeout.

Sale’s start Tuesday was highly anticipated as he suffered a setback with a rib injury during the MLB Lockout. Sale’s last start against the Rays came in the American League Division Series, where he only made it one inning while allowing five earned runs.

More: Boston Red Sox spring training: Pitcher Chris Sale announces rib cage injury

“It’s great (to have him back),” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Last year, we saw the difference, and he wasn’t even nearly to where he’s at arm-wise now. Now, he’s far from the (Tommy John) surgery, and he should be OK. I know he’s excited.

“From my end, it makes sense that it’s here. I still remember that first inning in the playoffs last year when he came down and talked to him in that tunnel. He was beat. He was frustrated. For him to come here now with friends and family around, it should be good.”

Red Sox starting pitcher Kutter Crawford allowed just one hit through five shutout innings Sunday.

Since being called back up from Triple-A Worcester, Crawford has given the team a pair of solid starts against the Rays and Yankees, pitching 10 ⅓ innings while allowing six hits, one run, with three walks and 14 strikeouts. The Okeechobee native will start Thursday and is excited about pitching in front of former FGCU teammates and family but knows he has to keep his emotions in check.

More: Kutter Crawford makes Red Sox Opening Day roster. Here’s 3 things to know about the FGCU product

“There was a couple of things,” Crawford said of his adjustments. “Learning to attack the zone, pitching in the big leagues is hard when you’re working from behind. One of my main focuses was getting ahead of hitters, and another big factors was cleaning up some things mechanically. I was just moving too fast on the mound earlier in the season. When I got optioned, we went down and worked on that and things have been working pretty well since.

“It’s always good to come back to the Sunshine State where I grew up, but I try not to treat it any differently than another game than I’ve pitched in, just try to keep the same mindset.”

Follow Southwest Florida Sports Writer Alex Martin on Twitter: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: FGCU, Cape Coral and Estero products taking the mound in Rays, Red Sox series