From his very first start of the season, opponents have thrown haymakers at Chris Sale, startling and staggering the Boston Red Sox starting pitcher.
The Tampa Bay Rays became the latest team to land a variety of punches on Sale on Wednesday night. The slender lefty lasted just four innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking one in a 9-7 defeat for the Red Sox at Tropicana Field.
“Three starts in I’ve taken three on the chin,” Sale told reporters, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “Again, I just got to be better. Just have to be better.”
It’s been a concerning start to the season for Sale, who wasn’t helped out by his defense in the loss to the Rays. He has given up at least three earned runs in all three of his starts, including an eye-popping seven runs to the Baltimore Orioles in his season debut that left Sale “embarrassed.”
But the 34-year-old, who made just 11 combined starts over the previous three seasons, hasn’t lost the belief he can turn his abysmal performances around.
“All the confidence,” Sale said. “That’s who I am. I’m going to continue to work. I’m going to continue to grind. Just got to figure it out before someone else does first.”
Sale never worked with a lead against the Rays as Tampa Bay touched him up for three runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a home run from Randy Arozarena. Sale settled down after that with back-to-back scoreless frames before allowing another three-spot in the fourth to bookend his outing. It ended up just being Sale’s first loss due to the offensive support he received in his previous two outings.
The seven-time All-Star wants nothing more than to get back on track, but finding the answers of what that will take hasn’t been easy.
“I had to get bailed out all times and the one time we lost is the day I sucked the most,” Sale said. “I’m not going to sit here and make excuses. I just got to be better. That’s what I’m here for.”
