Boston Red Sox: It’s time to stop counting on Chris Sale

At the beginning of spring training, there were some positive vibes surrounding the Boston Red Sox from general manager Chaim Bloom to manager Alex Cora to the players. They were saying the right things about the upcoming season, despite some big offseason changes with the roster.

One reason for optimism this season surrounding the Red Sox was that Chris Sale entered the season fully healthy for the first time in a long time and looked like someone the Red Sox could count on. Boston was hoping the lanky left-hander was going to return to a form where he would help anchor the top of a rotation that had questions before the first pitch was even thrown on Opening Day. It has not worked out that way and it’s safe to say this signing is reaching a new low point and it’s time that they stop counting on him.

Chris Sale not giving the Boston Red Sox what they need

Through his first five starts this season, Sale is not giving the Red Sox what they need, a veteran pitcher who can step up, lead a staff, and when push comes to shove, work his way out of jams. That was never more evident than Monday night against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Red Sox held a 4-1 through three innings on the strength of a mammoth Triston Casas home run and a two-run home run from Rafael Devers. Boston had lost 11 straight American League East Division games on the road dating back to last season. With a three-run lead, Sale on the mound, and questions surrounding the bullpen, this was the time the Red Sox and Cora needed Sale to deliver. He didn’t.

He allowed three runs in the fourth inning, a two-run double to Ramon Urias and an RBI single to James McCann. In the fifth, Austin Hays delivered an RBI single to plate what turned out to be the game-winning run in a 5-4 Baltimore victory. Executing a couple of pitches that inning would have gone a long way toward the Red Sox getting a win.

Sale allowed five earned runs on nine hits and did not strike out a batter, which is a little concerning. When he’s on and his pitches are working, he’s getting swings and misses, but not against the Orioles, especially when the Red Sox needed it the most. His frustrations boiled over and came out in the dugout on a water cooler at the end of his outing. He was determined to turn things around this season, but it is not working out that way.

It is not the start to the season that Sale or the Red Sox hoped it would be, but it’s showing no signs of getting better. The Red Sox needed him to continue the momentum they had after taking two out of three against the Milwaukee Brewers on the road and they were set up to break their AL East road struggles. They held a 4-1 lead through three innings and Sale couldn’t deliver and the Red Sox are what they look like they are going to be all season, a .500 team.

Sale, who was skipped over for the Opening Day start in March by Cora in favor of Corey Kluber, has not shown signs he can return to the pitcher he was before injuries took a major toll on his time in Boston. He is still owed $27.5 million this season and in 2024, and his contract is turning into one of the worst in team history.

The Red Sox finally have a healthy Sale, but aside from one start against the Minnesota Twins, he’s not looking like the pitcher they envisioned when the season started. He had the perfect opportunity to turn the narrative around against the Orioles and he failed, something that looks like is going to happen more often than not in 2023.