Chris Sale is Broken and Alex Cora Obviously Has No Clue How to Fix Him
By Michael Luciano
The struggles of Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale are more than a blip on the radar or a few bad starts in a row. The spindly left hander hasn't looked like himself all season, with his ERA ballooning to a concerning 4.27 during Saturday's loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
What advice did the sagely Alex Cora have regarding his ace's decline? They'll figure it out.
Cora on Sale: “We have to figure it out.”
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) July 14, 2019
That sounds like a Mickey Callaway answer.
What's odd about Sale's regression is the fact that he has only walked 27 in 111 innings and has struck out 160. He hasn't lost his control, nor his ability to generate strikeouts. Even with all that intact, teams are teeing off on him.
Most have attributed his struggles to a decline in fastball velocity. When you're a 30-year-old two-pitch pitcher in the first year of a massive contract that will keep you in Boston until 2024, the last thing the Red Sox want to hear is that you can't hit 98 anymore and will have to sit in the low to mid 90s.
Through 19 starts Chris Sale is 3-9 with 4.27 ERA. Red Sox are 6-13 in his starts this season. I'm sure not what the Red Sox were either expecting or hoping for when he's signed through the 2024 season for $160M.
— UYF1950 (@originaluyf1950) July 14, 2019
Most assumed the law of averages would take effect and Sale would get back on track. However, it's the middle of July and Sale still hasn't figured it out.
And we'll need more in the advice department than, "Eh, we'll get there" moving forward.