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

Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale is the best pitcher in the league – except when it comes to facing the Cleveland Indians. Here’s why that’s a problem.

No pitcher in the league has been more dominant than Chris Sale this season. The ace of the Boston Red Sox rotation has baffled opposing hitters and overwhelmed the best lineups in baseball. Except when it comes to facing one team – the Cleveland Indians.

The Tribe roughed up Sale for the second time this month, knocking him out of the game after only three innings of work. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and three walks while striking out a season-low three batters.

The damage was done in the second and third innings. Opposing hitters are batting only .148 with a .209 OBP leading off an inning against Sale, so it was quite a surprise to see Cleveland hitters get on base to start each of those innings. The first four batters reached in a four-run second inning on a trio of singles with a walk mixed in. A three-run third followed after Sale walked two of the first three batters in the frame. By that point, Sale’s outing was doomed.

This marked the first time this season that Sale has failed to last at least five innings. The six earned runs were one shy of the season-high he set the last time he faced Cleveland on August 1.

Sale has now allowed 13 earned runs over eight innings against the Indians this season for a staggering 14.63 ERA. In the 170 1/3 innings he’s tossed against every other team this season he owns a 2.32 ERA.

Cleveland Exposure

Sale’s struggles against Cleveland are nothing new. He’s 5-8 with a 4.78 ERA in 18 career starts against the Indians. That’s his highest ERA against any team he has faced at least three times.

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Sale has plenty of exposure to Cleveland from his seven seasons pitching in the AL Central division with the Chicago White Sox. Familiarity can build confidence in hitters. Sale has one of the game’s best fastballs – not only in terms of velocity but for the movement he gets on the pitch. He pairs that with a nasty slider that can make the greatest of hitters look foolish.

Those with limited experience facing Sale are often baffled by him but enough at-bats can give hitters the opportunity to figure him out. It’s then up to the pitcher to adjust, which Sale has yet to do against this lineup.

One of the reasons Red Sox fans were excited about acquiring Sale is his track record against AL East opponents. He’s been dominant in his career against each team in the division, particularly the New York Yankees. He’s been good, but not quite as great against the Central division teams who have faced him more often.

Cleveland is the only team that has routinely gotten the best of Sale. However, one other team this season has tagged Sale for at least five runs and prevented him from lasting more than five innings. That would be his former team, the White Sox. No team has seen Sale on the mound more than his former organization, which may have played a part in their success.

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.