Red Sox: Chris Sale’s struggles against Cleveland Indians are concerning

BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 19: Chris Sale
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 19: Chris Sale
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CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 22: Francisco Lindor (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 22: Francisco Lindor (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Batter vs Pitcher

A look at the batter vs pitcher stats for Sale against Cleveland’s lineup shows a number of their top hitters have had success against him.

Francisco Lindor is 10-for-22 (.455) with a home run, double and a walk.
Jose Ramirez is 8-for19 (.421) with a double and four walks.
Edwin Encarnacion is 6-for-17 (.353) with two home runs and four walks.
Brandon Guyers is 4-for-11 (.364) with a home run and three walks.
Carlos Santana is 13-for-43 (.302) with a home run, two doubles and five walks.
Roberto Perez is 3-for-9 (.333) with a double.
Yan Gomes is 6-for-25 (.240) with a home run and two doubles.

That’s the majority of Cleveland’s regular lineup, all of whom have had varying levels of success against Sale in their careers. This isn’t merely a matter of a couple of guys who Sale can pitch around. Navigating this Indians lineup is like walking through a minefield. One false step and this offense can explode.

Cleveland has a strong offensive club that ranks fifth in the league in runs scored. They make a lot of pitchers look bad, but few have struggled against them as much as Sale. Surprising, considering how dominant the lefty is against everyone else.

Schedule