Chris Sale knows what it’s like to win in Boston: he made three playoff appearances and won the 2018 World Series final with the Red Sox.
While he is in his first season after Boston with the Atlanta Braves, Sale at least has one more chance to be a big help to the Red Sox in the increasingly exciting race for the playoffs in the American League.
Sale gets the ball on Wednesday night in Minnesota against the Twins, the team directly ahead of the Red Sox in the standings and currently holding the final AL wild-card spot. If Boston beats the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday and Sale leads the Braves to a win over the Twins, the Red Sox would fall three games behind Minnesota for last place.
This is a big step after the somber mood at Fenway Park following Monday’s demoralizing doubleheader.
The story continues below the ad
After the Red Sox made the necessary move and parted ways with Sale last offseason, the result was not surprising, with a change of scenery. The left-hander has perhaps the best chance of winning the National League’s Cy Young Award and even a shot at the pitching Triple Crown. He has the most wins (14) and the lowest ERA (2.62) in the NL, and is only behind Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres for most strikeouts in the league.
Depending on the standings and Atlanta’s rotation, Sale may even be able to help the Red Sox once again on the final weekend of the regular season. The Braves host the Kansas City Royals, who Boston immediately chased before overtaking Minnesota, for a three-game set to close out the 2024 season.
One of Sale’s best performances of the year came against the Red Sox, when he struck out 10 Boston batters in six innings in the Braves’ 5-0 victory on May 8. This time around, Boston can hope for a dominant start from the left-hander the franchise has played from 2017 to 2023.
