Tag: chris sale

Brayan Bello lasts just 4 innings in second start as Red Sox fall to Rays, 10-5

The Red Sox did not arrive in St. Petersburg, Fla. until about 4 a.m. eastern time Monday morning. It showed in their loss to the Rays on Monday night as Boston fell to Tampa Bay by a final score of 10-5 at Tropicana Field to drop to 47-40 on the season.

Brayan Bello, making his second start of the season, did not fare much better than he did in his major-league debut against the Rays at Fenway Park last Wednesday. This time around, the rookie right-hander allowed five earned runs on seven hits, three walks, and one hit batsman to go along with five strikeouts over four innings of work.

All five of those Tampa Bay runs came within the first two innings of Monday’s loss. In the first, Bello put three of the first four batters he faced on to fill the bases for Josh Lowe, who lifted a softly-hit two-run single to center field to give the Rays an early 2-0 lead. The Sox were able to respond in their half of the second, though, as Xander Bogaerts reached second base via a leadoff double, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored from third on an infield RBI single off the bat of Alex Verdugo.

Despite getting one of those runs back, Bello ran into more trouble in the bottom of the second by issuing a leadoff walk to Luke Raley. He then got the first two outs of the inning, but gave up run-scoring hits to three of the next four batters he faced to make it a 5-1 game in favor of Tampa Bay.

Again, Boston responded in its half of the third. Jarren Duran went from first to third on a Christian Vazquez double. Both runners were then driven in on a two-run double from J.D. Martinez that cut the deficit down to two runs at 5-3. Duran struck again in the fourth by plating Rob Refsnyder on an RBI single, although he was tagged out in between first and second base to end the inning.

Bello, meanwhile, had begun to settle in a bit and ended his night by tossing back-to-back scoreless frames. The 23-year-old finished with a final pitch count of 82 (48 strikes) and was taken off the hook in the top of the fifth.

There, while matched up against Luke Bard, J.D. Martinez ripped a 105.9 mph double and was immediately driven in by Bogaerts. Bogaerts and Verdugo then proceeded to advance to second and third base, but both runners were stranded in scoring position with Trevor Story grounding out and Franchy Cordero striking out to extinguish the threat.

In relief of Bello, Austin Davis received the first call out of the Boston bullpen from manager Alex Cora. The left-hander yielded just one single in the bottom of the fifth before making way in the sixth for fellow southpaw Jake Diekman, who took over in a 5-5 game but could not keep the tie intact.

Instead, Diekman plunked the first Ray he faced in Taylor Walls, got the first out of the inning, and then surrendered a go-ahead RBI double to Yandy Diaz. Kaleb Ort came in for Diekman and allowed the runner he inherited to score on an RBI single from the pinch-hitting Harold Ramirez.

Phillips Valdez was next. He retired the side in order in the seventh but did not receive much defensive help in the eighth. Bobby Dalbec failed to catch a pop-up off the bat of Raley that should have gone for the first out of the inning. Walls then grounded into a force out at second before advancing to third on a Brett Phillips single. Diaz drove in Walls on a sacrifice fly before Ramirez scored Phillips on an RBI base hit back up the middle.

A groundball from Randy Arozarena that could not be corralled by Cordero kept the inning alive for Yu Chang, who plated Tampa Bay’s 10th and final run on another RBI single. Valdez was charged with three runs in the eighth. All three were unearned.

Down to their final three outs of the ninth, the Red Sox went down quietly against Jason Adam. They did not record a single hit in the last four innings of another defeat at the hands of a divisional opponent.

Next up: Sale’s 2022 debut on deck

Chris Sale will make his highly-anticipated season debut for the Red Sox in the second game of this four-game set. Boston will need to activate the left-hander from the 60-day injured list before first pitch on Tuesday night.

Opposing Sale will be veteran right-hander Corey Kluber for the Rays. Kluber and Sale finished first and second in American League Cy Young Award voting back in 2017.

First pitch from Tropicana Field on Tuesday is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Chris Sale to make 2022 debut against Rays on Tuesday

It’s official: Chris Sale will make his 2022 debut for the Red Sox when they go up against the Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night.

Sale has spent the entirety of the season on the 60-day injured list due to a right rib cage stress fracture he sustained while throwing a bullpen session at his alma mater, Florida Gulf Coast University, back in February. His recovery was then slowed for a few weeks in May because of a non-baseball health concern related to his family’s medical history.

After resuming his throwing program, Sale began a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on June 20. The 33-year-old left-hander made two starts for Boston’s rookie-level affiliate before moving up to Double-A Portland. He then made one start for the Sea Dogs before taking his rehab to Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday.

Matched up against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Polar Park, Sale allowed one run on three hits and five walks to go along with five strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings of work. Forty-two of the 72 pitches he threw went for strikes as he mixed in a high-90s fastball, mid-80s changeup, and high-70s slider.

Despite the high number of walks and the fact he did not pitch more than four innings in any of his outings, Sale will return to the Sox’ rotation to start the second game of their four-game series with the Rays.

Sale’s return should be a welcomed one, as the Red Sox currently find themselves mired in starting rotation issues with Nathan Eovaldi, Rich Hill, and Michael Wacha all out on the injured list for the time being.

Since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2020, Sale has made just nine starts for Boston over the last three seasons. Unlike his recovery from elbow reconstruction, though, the veteran lefty says he is in a better place physically because he has not had to build back up his arm strength.

“Coming back from a major arm surgery last year, there were a lot of question marks still,” Sale said Wednesday. “This year’s more of just sharpening the sword, not rebuilding it.”

A seven-time All-Star, Sale is in the third year of the five-year, $145 million contract extension he signed with the Red Sox in March 2019. He has the ability to opt out of his deal at season’s end, though that seems unlikely to happen.

(Picture of Chris Sale: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Chris Sale walks 5 in latest rehab start for Triple-A Worcester

In the fourth and possibly final start of his rehab assignment, Red Sox left-hander produced mixed results for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday night.

Pitching in front of a crowd of 8,891 at Polar Park, Sale allowed one run on three hits and five walks to go along with five strikeouts over just 3 2/3 innings of work in the WooSox’ 4-2 loss to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

After tossing four innings in Portland last Thursday, the plan was for Sale to get stretched out to 65 pitches on Wednesday. A wrench was instead thrown into those plans due to a high pitch count.

Sale walked two of the first five batters he faced in the first inning and issued one more while striking out two of the four batters he faced in the top of the second. A leadoff walk of Tim Locastro to begin things in the third was negated when Jake Bauers grounded into an inning-ending, 4-6-3 double play.

In the fourth, Sale gave up back-to-back softy-hit singles to Phillip Evans and Greg Bird to lead off the inning. He then got the first out of the inning before giving up another weak single to Chris Owings that filled the bases.

A five-pitch punchout of Armando Alvarez increased Sale’s pitch count to 66. Rather than get pulled from the game, he got a visit from WooSox pitching coach Paul Abbott, who told him he had a hard limit of 70 pitches.

Sale followed that exchange by issuing a six-pitch walk to No. 9 hitter David Freitas, who proved to be the final RailRider he would face as Evans scored from third to make it a 1-1 game at the time.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 72 (42 strikes), Sale induced 14 swings-and-misses. The 33-year-old southpaw also averaged 94 mph and topped out at 97 mph with his fastball while mixing in a mid-80s changeup and high-70s slider, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

When speaking with reporters (including Speier) Wednesday night, Sale indicated that the lack of command he displayed can be attributed to an issue with his delivery, which he believes can be fixed easily.

“It’s nothing that can’t be cleaned up in this next week [with] a couple bullpen sessions,” Sale said. “This doesn’t really set me back.”

Sale began the season on the 60-day injured list due to a right rib cage stress fracture that he sustained in February. His return was then slowed for a period of time in May because of a non-baseball health concern related to his family’s medical history.

If this was indeed Sale’s final rehab outing, he would be on track to return to the Red Sox’ starting rotation during their series against the Rays in Tampa Bay next week. If not, he could make another start for one of Boston’s minor-league affiliates in order to refine his command before re-joining the big-league club.

Either way, Sale says he is feeling good physically and is in a different place than he was at this time last year while working his way back from Tommy John surgery.

“Coming back from a major arm surgery last year, there were a lot of question marks still,” said Sale. “This year’s more of just sharpening the sword, not rebuilding it.”

(Picture of Chris Sale: Katie Morrison/MassLive)

Red Sox’ Chris Sale to make next rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday

Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale will make another rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, manager Alex Cora said at Wrigley Field before Friday’s game against the Cubs.

The WooSox will be hosting the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Polar Park that night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. eastern time.

Sale has made three rehab appearances thus far, with his latest coming for Double-A Portland on Thursday. The left-hander allowed just one run on four hits and no walks to go along with seven strikeouts over four innings of work in the Sea Dogs’ 15-4 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field.

Of the 52 pitches Sale threw, 36 went for strikes and 17 were of the swing-and-miss variety. With Elih Marrero doing the catching, he mixed in his two- and four-seam fastball, slider, and changeup while topping out at 96 mph with his heater.

Since beginning his rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on June 25, Sale has been making his starts on four days of rest. The WooSox, however, are off on Tuesday so Sale will be making his next outing on an additional day of rest.

It remains to be seen if Sale will need one or two more rehab starts before he re-joins the Red Sox. The 33-year-old began the season on the 60-day injured list because of a stress fracture in his right rib cage that he suffered back in February. His throwing program was then slowed for a period of time in May due to a non-baseball health concern related to his family’s medical history.

The Red Sox would like to see Sale get stretched out to five innings before activating him from the injured list. If that happens in Worcester on Wednesday, the seven-time All-Star could be in line to make his 2022 debut when the Sox go up against the Rays in Tampa Bay on July 11.

(Picture of Chris Sale: Katie Morrison/MassLive)

Red Sox’ Chris Sale strikes out 7 in latest rehab start for Double-A Portland

Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale took his rehab assignment to Portland, Maine on Thursday night and pitched well in front of a sold-out crowd at Hadlock Field.

In his third rehab start of the month, Sale allowed just one run on four hits and zero walks to go along with seven strikeouts over four solid innings of work in Double-A Portland’s 15-4 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

After retiring six of the first seven batters he faced, Sale issued a leadoff single in the top of the third that was immediately followed by a run-scoring double off the bat of New Hampshire’s Chris Bec. He managed to strand Bec with the help of an inning-ending double play and then struck out the side in his fourth and final frame.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 52 (36 strikes), Sale induced 17 swings-and-misses while mixing in his fastball (both two- and four-seam), slider, and changeup with Elih Marrero doing the catching.

According to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, who was on-hand in Portland, Sale sat between 91-96 mph with his heater and topped out at 96 mph with it on four separate occasions.

This was the third outing of Sale’s rehab assignment but his first at the upper levels of the minor-leagues. The 33-year-old southpaw previously made two starts in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on June 20 and June 25, respectively.

It is believed that Sale will need to make one more rehab start as he continues to work his way back from a stress fracture in his right rib cage that he suffered back in February. He began the season on the 60-day injured list because of it and then had his throwing program paused in May due to a non-baseball health concern related to his family’s medical history.

With the Sea Dogs on the road in Binghamton next week, it seems likely that Sale will make his next start for Triple-A Worcester as the WooSox will be hosting the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Polar Park.

If he could get stretched out to five innings in his next minor-league outing, Sale could potentially be in line to join the Red Sox and come off the 60-day injured list before the All-Star break.

(Picture of Chris Sale: Elsa/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Chris Sale strikes out 6 in second start of rehab assignment

Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale made the second start of his rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Saturday morning.

After throwing just one inning in his first rehab outing on Monday, Sale pitched deeper into his start this time around. Matched up against the Twins’ FCL affiliate at JetBlue Park, the veteran southpaw scattered three hits and no walks to go along with six strikeouts over 2 2/3 scoreless innings of work. He also hit one of the 12 batters he faced.

According to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, Sale sat between 92-96 mph with his fastball on Saturday while mixing in a slider in the 91-94 mph range and a changeup in the 85-87 mph range.

Sale will likely need to make two more rehab starts in order to get stretched out to five innings. When speaking with reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham) prior to Saturday’s game against the Guardians, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Sale will throw a bullpen session in Fort Myers and will then make his next start for Double-A Portland.

That will presumably come on Thursday, as Sale will be able to pitch on regular rest while the Sea Dogs host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field. The 33-year-old could then make his fourth rehab start for Triple-A Worcester the following week as the WooSox will be hosting the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Polar Park.

So, in all likelihood, Sale could very well make his 2022 debut for the Red Sox during their penultimate series before the All-Star break against the Rays at Tropicana Field from July 11-14.

There are still a number of hurdles to clear, but Sale’s return would certainly be a welcomed one. The seven-time All-Star began the season on the 60-day injured list due to a right rib stress fracture he sustained in late February. His recovery was then slowed down in May because of a non-baseball health concern related to his family’s medical history.

(Picture of Chris Sale: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox ace Chris Sale strikes out Wander Franco in first start of rehab assignment

Red Sox ace left-hander Chris Sale officially began his rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on Monday night.

Getting the start against the Rays’ FCL affiliate in Port Charlotte, Fla., Sale allowed one earned run on one hit, one walk, and one strikeout over just one inning of work.

After issuing a leadoff walk to Odalys Peguero, Sale rebounded by striking out fellow major-leaguer Wander Franco — who is also on a rehab assignment — with a slider (and wild pitch) that allowed Peguero to advance to second base.

With one out and a runner in scoring position, Sale got Carlos Colmenarez to pop out to short. Peguero then proceeded to steal third and score from there on an RBI single off the bat of Junior Caminero.

Sale ended his outing by getting Jhon Diaz to ground out to second, so he wound up retiring three of the five batters he faced. Rather than come back out for a second inning, the 33-year-old was relieved by right-hander Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. He threw 22 pitches and topped out at 96 mph with his fastball, per The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

This was the first time Sale pitched in a competitive environment since Game 5 of last October’s American League Championship Series. The veteran southpaw began the season on the 60-day injured list because of a right rib stress fracture he sustained during a bullpen session in late February. His recovery was then slowed due to what he described as a non-baseball health concern related to his family’s medical history.

Now that he has one rehab outing under his belt, Sale will likely need to make three or four more while working on a starter’s schedule in order to get stretched out to five innings. When that milestone is reached (presumably sometime next month), he will be ready to return to Boston’s starting rotation.

“He’ll be here at one point, and he’s going to contribute,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Sale, via MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “Like I said before, this is a lot different than last year as far as his arm [goes]. He’s in a much better spot. He’s moving a lot better, so we expect him to use all his pitches, which is important compared to last year. Just be him. It’s a trade that not everybody can do.”

(Picture of Chris Sale: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Chris Sale to begin rehab assignment in Florida Complex League on Monday

Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale will begin a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on Monday, the team announced on Friday. It will mark Sale’s first in-game action since Game 5 of last October’s American League Championship Series.

Sale, who faced live hitters at Fenway Park on Thursday, has returned to Fort Myers and will throw two innings against the Florida Complex League Rays in Port Charlotte on Monday night.

In a conversation with NESN’s Tom Caron prior to Friday’s contest against the Cardinals, Red Sox manager Alex Cora relayed that Sale will return as a starter and will be built up to five innings before he makes his 2022 debut.

“Hopefully that’s the beginning of his rehab, and from there, it’s just a countdown,” said Cora. “We’re going to build him up as a starter. That’s loud and clear. We just got to be patient and whenever he comes back, we know he’s going to contribute.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, Sale will likely need to make four or five rehab starts in the minors before being activated from the 60-day injured list. That would put him on a schedule to return to the Sox at some point around the All-Star break in July.

The 33-year-old southpaw began the season on the 60-day injured list after suffering a stress fracture in his right rib age back in February. His throwing program was then paused last month due to a “non-medical baseball situation.”

In his live batting practice session on Thursday, Sale threw 32 pitches over two simulated innings. He sat between 94-95 mph with his fastball and the Red Sox were impressed with what they saw from his changeup.

Upon returning from Tommy John surgery last season, opponents were 16-for-36 (.444) against Sale’s changeup, per Smith. That will need to change if Sale intends to be more effective in 2022.

“I think that’s the difference between last year and this year,” Cora said. “He was a two-pitch pitcher for a month and a half. This year, obviously being that far away from the surgery now, this will play.”

(Picture of Chris Sale: Elsa/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Tanner Houck says he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, meaning he will not be eligible to pitch in Toronto

Red Sox starter Tanner Houck revealed to The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams on Sunday that he is not yet vaccinated against COVID-19. As a result, the right-hander will not be eligible to pitch against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

The Red Sox will visit Rogers Centre for the first time this season later this month. Houck was in line to start the second of that four-game series on April 26, but will instead miss it due to his vaccination status.

“I think it’s a personal choice for everyone whether they get it or not,” Houck told McWilliams earlier Sunday morning. “So, that’s all I really got to say on it.”

Any individual traveling to Canada must be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Canadian government defines this individual as someone who has received at least two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Travelers must have received the second dose of Moderna/Pfizer or first dose of Johnson and Johnson at least 14 calendar days prior to entering the country.

For the Red Sox, these guidelines apply to their series against the Blue Jays in Toronto from April 25-28, June 27-June 29, and September 30 through October 2.

Besides Houck, it is already known that fellow Boston starter Chris Sale is not vaccinated against the virus. The left-hander is currently on the 60-day injured list as he continues to recover from a stress fracture in his right rib cage, so he was not going to be able to pitch in next week’s series north of the border anyway.

Still, unless either pitcher gets vaccinated or the Canadian government changes its rules, Houck and Sale will not be eligible to travel to or play in Toronto this season.

In Houck’s case, the 25-year-old hurler will be placed on the restricted list during the Sox’ series in Toronto. While away from the team, Houck will be placed on the restricted list and will not receive any pay or service time for the games he misses.

The Red Sox will, however, have the ability to replace Houck on the active roster while he is on the restricted list. Although the club has yet to announce who will take Houck’s turn in the starting rotation on April 26, it would not be surprising if that responsibility fell to Garrett Whitlock, who pitched in relief of Houck on Saturday.

“We knew it beforehand,” Sox manager Alex Cora said following Sunday’s 8-1 win over the Twins. “So, we’ll plan accordingly.”

As noted by McWilliams, Cora also indicated that Houck will not be the only player Boston places on the restricted list for their trip to Toronto. According to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, “the identities of the others are unknown.”

(Picture of Tanner Houck: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Chris Sale resumes throwing: ‘We’re in a good spot’

Red Sox ace Chris Sale threw at Fenway Park on Friday morning ahead of Boston’s home opener against the Minnesota Twins. When speaking with reporters afterwards, the left-hander estimated it was the fifth time he has thrown in the last week.

Prior to that, Sale had been shut down for an extended period of time after suffering a stress fracture in his right rib cage in late February. Since he has been able to get back to throwing, the 33-year-old is in better spirits than he was seven weeks ago.

“We’re in a good spot, obviously,” Sale said. “The worst part of it is time. The build back up is going to take a little bit of time just because I’ve got to get some innings and get my arm stretched out. We’re on the right path.”

The Red Sox placed Sale on the 60-day injured list before the regular season started, meaning he would not be eligible to pitch in a major-league game until June 6 at the earliest.

“The initial blow of this sucked but I’ve got to get over it and start getting back to what I do,” said Sale. “And that’s having fun, getting work in, and being a good teammate.”

Sale made the trip from Fort Myers to Boston to be with his teammates for Opening Day at Fenway Park. He is now pain-free, but understands the importance of exhibiting patience during this recovery period.

“For instance, I went out there and threw today and I feel like I could throw in a game,” Sale said. “But that doesn’t really make a lot of sense. That’s just me being a little overconfident or just being myself, honestly. I like playing. But I understand with this comes a certain level of work that has to be done before. You can’t just go run a couple of sprints and then be like, alright, we have to go run a marathon. I’ve got to get some practice in, I’ve got to get stretched out.”

Sale said he does not yet know when he will begin throwing bullpen sessions. And while the lanky lefty is still a ways away from returning to the mound with the Red Sox, he is undoubtedly excited to be back in Boston for now.

“I love this. I love playing baseball. I love being a member of a team,” said Sale. “It’s something that we’re fighting together for. These guys give me life, man. I’ve got more pep in my step today than I would have if I was down at JetBlue doing that. no offense to the guys down there. Love you guys. It’s just different. We have something going on here. It’s fun, talking trash, catching up with everybody, having some fun, and we’re at Fenway Park. Beautiful day out there. I love being around these guys. They help me.”

Information from The Boston Herald, MassLive, and MLB.com was used in this story.

(Picture of Chris Sale: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)