After a soul-crushing defeat on Friday night, the Boston Red Sox came into Saturday’s game knowing that they had their ace Chris Sale on the mound to subdue the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ultimately, that is exactly what the veteran left-hander proceeded to do.
Opposed by Steven Matz, Sale outdueled the Cardinals left-hander and pitched eight strong innings on Saturday afternoon.
The 34-year-old has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries over the years, including an elbow issue that required Tommy John surgery and caused him to miss the 2020 season.
But on Saturday, he looked like his old self again.
On Twitter, the Red Sox posted a graphic featuring the veteran left-hander’s numbers against the Cardinals.
You love to see it. pic.twitter.com/mUMUd83v08
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 13, 2023
Sale’s only blip was a solo home run hit by a resurgent Nolan Arenado in the top of the seventh inning.
The home run was one of only three hits that the former World Series champion allowed against St. Louis.
He also walked just one batter and struck out nine.
However, disaster struck for the Red Sox in the ninth inning when Kenley Jansen allowed three runs to put the Cardinals on top.
The Red Sox offense went quietly in the bottom of the ninth inning against Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos.
In the end, Sale’s strong effort went for naught as the Cardinals completed a dramatic come-from-behind win and knocked the Red Sox down to last place in the American League East after the rival New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays.
NEXT: Red Sox Star Got A Chance To Reunite With His WBC Teammate
