WATCH: Boston Red Sox' Chris Sale Strikes Out 11 Over Dominant Outing vs. Minnesota Twins
Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale took a major step forward on Tuesday night, striking out 11 batters against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park.
We're not really sure if Chris Sale is ever going to be the Chris Sale of old, but this was a nice reminder of what he used to be, and offered glimpses of what he hopefully could be again.
He came into this game with an ERA over 11 and ended up going six innings vs. Minnesota, allowing just one run on three hits with two walks and the 11 strikeouts. Minnesota is currently leading the American League Central, so this was no small feat.
Sale underwent Tommy John Surgery before the 2020 COVID season and missed the entire season, then spent most of 2021 rehabbing. He had a health issue that cost him most of the early part of 2022, and then missed the back half of the season after taking a line drive off the hand.
All told, Sale had thrown just over 48 innings entering over the last three years prior to this season, so major questions have been out there about his health and effectiveness moving forward.
This was his final strikeout of the day, per @PitchingNinja on Twitter.
And there is this one, which was his 8th strikeout of the night.
If Sale can look like some version of this consistently, it's a huge upgrade for the Red Sox and a huge bounceback for Sale, who was one of the best pitchers in the game for several years.
He's 115-76 for his career with a 3.08 ERA. He's a seven-time all-star who has six different Top-5 Cy Young finishes.
