The Red Sox dropped another game to an American League East opponent Tuesday night, but Boston likely can take some solace in the moral victory it found at Tropicana Field.
Not only did Chris Sale take a big-league mound for the first time since Oct. 20 of last year, but the veteran southpaw showed shades of his old self against the Rays. Sale tossed five scoreless innings in Tampa Bay, surrendering only three hits and one walk while striking out five over 78 pitches.
Boston manager Alex Cora unsurprisingly was pleased with what he saw from the seven-time All-Star.
"He threw the ball well and finished well," Cora told reporters after the Red Sox's 3-2 loss, per MLB.com "Did an outstanding job toward the end, had good velocity and command of the pitches were OK. Delivery was under control, and he gave us five innings, so that's a good start."
Sale, who undoubtedly is his own harshest critic, also appeared to be satisfied with his first outing for the Red Sox in nearly eight months. The 33-year-old after the game noted that he feels stronger now than at any point last year and he likes where he's at both physically and mentally.
Boston fans won't have to wait very long to see Sale back on the hill. The left-hander is expected to make an appearance in Sunday's series finale against the New York Yankees, the Red Sox's final game before the MLB All-Star break.
