Chris Sale looked like, well, Chris Sale in his last start, striking out 11 -- his most K's in a game since 2019 -- over six innings before the Boston Red Sox eventually defeated the Minnesota Twins in extra innings.
It was an impressive step in right direction for the 34-year-old, who has been beset by injuries in recent years, but it also raises the question: Can he carry that momentum forward to enjoy a healthy and productive 2023 season?
Sale's next opportunity to show out comes Monday night against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. It'll be a tough test, with the O's riding a six-game winning streak that improved their record to 14-7, but the Sox just took two of three from the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend. So, perhaps Boston also is finding its stride after an inconsistent start to the new campaign.
Alex Verdugo once again will be in the leadoff spot for Monday's series opener in Baltimore, batting ahead of Rafael Devers and Justin Turner. Masataka Yoshida will hit cleanup, as he's done for 15 of his first 17 games with the Red Sox, and he, too, is heating up, with Sunday's two-homer, six-RBI performance possibly signaling the beginning of a breakout for the Japanese outfielder.
The Red Sox made a somewhat surprising roster move Monday, optioning pitcher Brayan Bello to Triple-A Worcester one day after his second start of the season. It eliminates a logjam in Boston's rotation, with Tanner Houck likely to stick in a starting role for now, and will give Bello an opportunity to iron out a few wrinkles in the minors before inevitably returning to the majors.
Monday's first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action on NESN, beginning with an hour of pregame coverage at 5:30 p.m.
Here are the full lineups for Red Sox vs. Orioles.
BOSTON RED SOX (12-11)
Alex Verdugo, RF
Rafael Devers, 3B
Justin Turner, DH
Masataka Yoshida, LF
Kiké Hernández, 2B
Triston Casas, 1B
Jarren Duran, CF
Connor Wong, C
Yu Chang, SS
Chris Sale, LHP (1-1, 8.00 ERA)
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (14-7)
Austin Hays, LF
Adley Rutschman, DH
Ryan Mountcastle, 1B
Anthony Santander, RF
Ramon Urias, 3B
James McCann, C
Cedric Mullins, CF
Jorge Mateo, SS
Adam Frazier, 2B
Dean Kremer, RHP (1-0, 6.16 ERA)
