This certainly hasn’t been Chris Sale’s year.
The Boston Red Sox left-hander is 3-9 on the season with an uncharacteristic 4.27 ERA. While some of his outings have come with little to no run support, Sale also has had times when he’s given up three-plus runs.
But he’s never not shouldered the blame for his struggles. Sale has harped on being better throughout the season and even has admitted to some of his appearances being embarrassing. The Boston pitcher has looked lost at times, which is not what baseball fans are used to seeing from him. But Sale won’t be “giving up” despite a less-than-ideal year.
“I’m going out there every fifth day and getting my ass kicked,” Sale said, via MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “What do you think? It’s not fun. I’m still working, still grinding and I’m not going to give up. It’s tough going out there every day being a liability for your team.
“Usually I can go out there and find a way to navigate my way through a game,” he added. “You’re going to hit some rough patches, but I’m usually able to get out of it. For whatever reason, cards aren’t falling my way, luck’s not going my way and I’m not helping myself out either. I’ve got no other excuses than just not getting it done. There’s no other way to paint it.”
Sale won’t start again until Thursday when the Toronto Blue Jays come to Fenway Park for a four-game set. And it’s clear he’s hoping to turn things around when he takes the mound.
