Red Sox ace Chris Sale must stop the skid tonight

With the Boston Red Sox off to a sluggish 1-4 start to the 2019 season, Chris Sale must put an end to the slide in Oakland.

It’s been anything but pretty for the Boston Red Sox to kick off the 2019 campaign. Entering the second game of a four game set tonight in Oakland with a record of 1-4, a polar opposite of last season’s record through five games (4-1), Boston turns to their ace to stop the slide. However, Chris Sale‘s opening day start was perhaps the ugliest of all Red Sox starters the first time through the rotation.

Sale lasted just 3 innings, giving up 7 earned runs on 6 hits, while surrendering a couple walks as well. He struck out just 4 Mariners hitters, not to mention a dip in velocity, with his fastball just touching 93 mph.

Reduced usage during Spring Training may be to blame for the slow start by Boston’s rotation, but now it’s getting close to ‘panic mode’, and Sale will need to be on his A-game tonight out west.

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However, despite whatever negative connotation may come with such a lackluster start, it’s not unprecedented for a defending champion to start off slow. Many fans will remember the ’98 Yankees who were considered by many to be the best team of the modern era, got blown out in their first two games and were sent into a whirlwind. They would fall to 1-4, but would go on to have a 114-win season, the second best regular season of all-time.

So, don’t completely go off the deep end just yet, Sox fans.

This team is way too talented for this stretch to continue. The first time through the rotation was an eye opener for sure, but we’re just five games into the season. If this is still an issue come May, then it will be time for a more intense discussion.

For now, the offense, for the most part, has stepped up when necessary. As well as the bullpen, who we all thought was the question mark going into the season, has held their own for the most part.

Boston finished with a 51-30 record on the road last year, making up nearly half of their 108 total, which is a remarkable feat. Now in 2019, they’ve struggled out of the gates, and with still five games to go on this road trip, Boston turns to Sale to try and stop the bleeding.

Sale needs to have much better command than last week in Seattle, as well as a higher velocity on is fastball. 4 out of the 11 Oakland position players that have played in 2019 so far have a career batting average above .300 off Sale.

Nobody said it would be easy for Boston, but the climb back to the top starts tonight with the man they brought on to be the  No. 1.