Chris Sale is reaping the rewards of his teammates' warm welcome.
The Boston Red Sox ace has received incredible run support in his starts during the 2021 season. Boston's batters have scored 66 total runs on Sale's seven starts, helping him amass a 5-0 record since August when he returned from two years on the sidelines due to Tommy John surgery.
"As a starting pitcher you can't ask for more," Sale told reporters Wednesday night in a video press conference, following the Red Sox's 12-5 win over the New York Mets. "Our offense has been leading the way and if we can keep playing defense and keep throwing the ball, we can go a long way."
Boston Sports Info provided this breakdown of the Red Sox's run production in each of Sale's starts.
Sale has started five games at Fenway Park, and five of his seven opponents have had losing records. It doesn't require much baseball expertise to see why the Red Sox have won six out of those seven games.
The stakes only will increase, and opponents will be tougher to beat, especially if the Red Sox book a playoff spot. Red Sox Nation only can hope Sale continues to receive plenty of run support whenever he's on the mound.
