The return of Chris Sale on Saturday certainly was a welcome one, but he doesn’t think of himself as some sort of savior.
The Red Sox lefty threw five innings and struck out eight in Boston’s 16-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. It was the first time Sale took the mound in two years, and he looked, at times, like vintage Sale.
The starting rotation has struggled throughout the season, with MartÃn Pérez and Garrett Richards getting demoted to the bullpen, so getting an arm like Sale back provided a boost and helped the Red Sox earn their second straight win.
For Sale, though, he doesn’t want to be looked at as more important than his teammates.
“I’ve thought about that a lot. These guys have given me a lot more than I’ve given them. I don’t think anyone is going to change my mind on that,” Sale told reporters over Zoom after Saturday’s win. “I’m another player on this team. I’m going to bring it every fifth day or whatever day I pitch. For me to say that I’m going to help them or save them or be something more than just another guy on this team would be selfish. That’s not who I am. We’re all pulling on the same rope.”
The Red Sox sit four games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot in the American League East heading into Sunday’s finale with Baltimore. And Sale without a doubt will help his team hopefully gain some ground as the postseason nears.
