No one knew what to expect as Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale took the mound today. It was his first start in 7 months and, to put it bluntly, the lanky lefty did not disappoint.
Red Sox ace Chris Sale looked like his old self in spring training debut
Sale topped out at 96-mph with his fastball and effectively mixed in his change-up and slider over two innings of work. He struck out a batter in each frame (one swinging with a high fastball, and the other looking with a back-door slider).
Chris Sale's final pitching line (March 6th vs. DET): 2 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts; 31 pitches (24 strikes)
And without a doubt, the most important takeaway from today was that Chris Sale exited the game healthy. The final out of the 2nd inning was recorded on a ball hit directly back to Sale. He was able to stab the grounder and throw onto 1st to retire the side.
The rest of the league is officially being put on notice. pic.twitter.com/SGzZgzb2bM
— Craig Teed (@craig_teed) March 6, 2023
As a spectator, it felt like a full-circle moment. The final batter Sale faced in 2022 (Aaron Hicks) hit a line drive back at him that broke a finger on his pitching hand. All Sale could do as he walked off the mound after throwing his last pitch of the day today was smile. Clean slate. New year. Full healthy.