Chris Sale will be coming into his first career postseason start. For Sale, the expectations haven’t changed. While he seemed to fade from his Cy Young front-runner form after August 1, Sale will still no doubt be finishing second to Corey Kluber when the award is announced. With the first 300 K season since Pedro Martinez in 1999, Sale will once again be counted on to put those Ks on the board.
While it will be his first taste of October baseball, Sale has the right mentality and right stuff in his repertoire to put up zeros on the board. Matched up against Verlander, we should expect Sale to be up for the challenge and a great pitchers duel on deck. Among pundits and fans alike, Sale is the type of player who will revel in the opportunity to pitch under the bright October lights.
With Sale, many believe this October is his chance to put his name on the map for good. After many years toiling away with the White Sox, Sale barely ever came close to sniffing October. Now, he has the chance to not only pitch deep into the fall but to carry his team there. All season long the Red Sox have relied on their 1-2 punch in Sale/Pomeranz and this month will be no different. As long as Sale is taking the mound for these Red Sox, there’s no reason to believe they won’t have a chance this October.