The one black mark on what was an electric weekend for Boston sports was Chris Sale’s start in game one of the ALCS Saturday night. Sale’s velocity was down in the low-90’s and he got tabbed for four walks, an extreme deviation for the norm.
This is something worth watching.
Chris Sale's first-inning fastball velocity tonight: 91, 89, 90, 92, 94, 93, 93, 90, 92, 89.
His first-inning fastball velocity in his ALDS start: 95, 94, 93, 95, 95, 96, 95, 95, 96, 97.
Average tonight: 91.3 mph
Average in ALDS: 95.1 mph— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 14, 2018
That’s an uncomfortable new trend for Sale on the field, but off the field may be worse.
Chris Sale sent to hospital for stomach illness, will be held overnight for observation, per @IanMBrowne pic.twitter.com/wZFClityyj
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) October 15, 2018
The last thing Boston fans expected in the midst of a wild Sunday Night Football Pats game and game two of the ALCS was a Tyson right hook from the clouds in the form of this Sale news.
Postitive reports rolled in on Monday morning.
"From what I know, it's nothing serious." — Alex Corahttps://t.co/ZzzU6ek4Rd
— Chris Mason (@ByChrisMason) October 15, 2018
That doesn’t make the news any less concerning. Chris Sale is still undoubtedly the arm that needs to get us to the World Series. It’s him and then everybody else. Unfortunately, the last two months with Sale have been far from routine.
Starting with his first DL stint in August, there’s been a cloud of curiosity and concern around Sale. Not what you want from your premiere starter. This most recent visit to MGH is maybe the most concerning and confusing thing to fall on Sale’s plate in the last two months.
I’m ready to head into Houston and survive to bring this series back to Houston. Sale, on the other hand, is very much up in the air. He is pegged to be the game five starter, but if he’s not healthy enough to go, the Sox could be looking at the end of a season that shouldn’t end short of the Fall Classic.
Sale will be joining the team in Houston after the rest of the bunch flew out following Sunday’s win. Prayers up that whatever the doctors gave him not only ease his stomach, but also add a few miles per hour on his fastball for his next start.
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