Chris Sale seems superhuman at times, but the Red Sox need to make sure they don’t wear out his arm before the playoffs.
The clock is ticking on the month of July, and before too much longer, we’ll officially be into the dog days of August. This is about the time when the wear and tear of an MLB season starts to take its toll on players.
As the Boston Red Sox get closer to a third straight appearance in the postseason, it’s important that they keep this in mind with the ace of their starting rotation, Chris Sale. When October officially hits, they’re going to need Sale to be at the absolute top of his game, especially if the American League East title slips away to the New York Yankees and they’re forced to play in the wild card game.
Over the last two months of the regular season, it will be crucial that the Red Sox try to get Sale as much rest as they possibly can. They need to cut down on his innings at any opportunity they get. They seem to already be taking this approach to an extent; in four starts in the month of July, he’s only gone past the sixth inning once.
For the fans, it’s a bummer that they need to do this because he’s such an electrifying pitcher to watch. Boston has won the last six games started by Sale, and throughout that stretch, he has only allowed a single earned run in a total of 39 innings pitched. He’s currently going through the best stretch of his season, and knowing that the team needs to cut back on his innings can be somewhat of a buzzkill for Red Sox fans.
But the big picture is far more important, and history has proven that Sale has a tendency to break down late in the season. It happened numerous times during his tenure with the Chicago White Sox, and when the Red Sox faced the Houston Astros in the ALDS last year, Sale’s ERA ballooned to a massive 8.38. He was rocked for seven runs on nine hits in his Game 1 start, only making it through five innings. He then made a relief appearance in Game 4, allowing two runs and four hits in 4.2 innings.
If Boston isn’t careful with Sale over the next two months, history could repeat itself when the playoffs arrive. Therefore, in his remaining starts during the regular season, the Red Sox should never let him pitch more than five or six innings unless absolutely necessary. If they jump out to a big lead early in a game, it would be wise to think about pulling him after maybe just four innings or so.
Sale is arguably the most dominant pitcher in the AL, but he’s not superhuman. If the Red Sox aren’t careful with his arm over the stretch run of the season, there’s a chance he won’t be able to be the ace they need him to be when the postseason hits.