Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale made it through two scoreless innings as the American League starter in the 2017 MLB All-Star Game.
Chris Sale clearly didn’t come to Miami to make friends. The ace of the Boston Red Sox staff saved his best for the pair of Marlins in the National League lineup during his two scoreless innings of work in the All-Star Game.
It didn’t take long for Sale to show why he was worthy of earning his second consecutive start in the midsummer classic. The lanky lefty quickly retired the first two batters he faced, including a strikeout of hometown hero Giancarlo Stanton on four pitches.
Sale reached back for a 98 mph fastball away that set Stanton down swinging. Knowing that he was in for a short outing allowed Sale to dial up the velocity, flirting with triple digits on a couple of pitches.
Chris Sale strikes out Stanton on 4 pitches. #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/F2vvLX5yU5
— Sean Penney (@spenney83) July 12, 2017
Next up was Bryce Harper, who somehow managed to muscle a fastball in on his hands the other way for a base hit. No shame in that. It was a good pitch, just a better piece of hitting by the former MVP.
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Buster Posey put a scare into the American League fans by lacing a line drive down the third base line that thankfully landed foul. The inning would end with Posey flying out to center fielder Mookie Betts, so no damage done.
While the NL squad seemed determined to run through their entire bullpen in this game by removing starter Max Scherzer after only one inning, the AL stuck with Sale for another frame. The bottom of the second wasn’t quite as smooth, as Sale allowed singles to Daniel Murphy and Nolan Arenado to lead off the inning. It looked like Sale might be in trouble, but a double-play turned by the Houston Astros duo of Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve limited the threat.
With two outs and a runner on third base, Marcell Ozuna stepped to the plate. The Marlins outfielder is tied for the major league lead with 70 RBI this season, but couldn’t drive in a run this time. Ozuna would suffer the same fate as his Miami teammate to become Sale’s second strikeout victim.
Chris Sale won't be popular in Miami after striking out a pair of #Marlins in the #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/PzmuVhSA6E
— Sean Penney (@spenney83) July 12, 2017
On a two-two count, Sale unleashed a nasty slider in the dirt that Ozuna swung over the top of. The catcher throwing down to first base was merely a formality to end the inning.
The final line on Sale was two innings, no runs on three hits, no walks and the pair of strikeouts. He threw 20 of his 28 pitches for strikes and will settle for a no decision.
The performance wasn’t quite as dominant as the MVP display put on at the 1999 All-Star Game by Pedro Martinez, who is in attendance for tonight’s game in Miami. Still, if you’re rooting for the American League, it’s hard not to be impressed by what Sale delivered on the mound.