Chris Sale Strikes Out Six Over 3.2 Shutout Innings For Portland Sea Dogs
BOSTON (CBS) -- Chris Sale made his second rehab start on Tuesday, taking the mound for the Double-A Sea Dogs in Portland. Though his uniform was a little different than what Red Sox fans are used to seeing, the lefty looked like his old self.
Sale was downright filthy as he pitched in front of a sellout crowd at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine, tossing 3.2 innings of shutout baseball against the Harrisburg Senators. He did not allow a hit against the Washington Nationals affiliate, walking just one batter while striking out six. His fastball was consistently hovering around 97 MPH, and it hit 98 MPH on one pitch.
Sale also had his slider working for him, which he used to strike out his final batter of the evening in the top of the fourth.
Sale is done for the night. He was extremely impressive. pic.twitter.com/t4ISsi7Eaj
— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) July 20, 2021
Sale threw 49 pitches Tuesday night, 34 of which went for strikes. He set down nine straight batters at one point.
The 32-year-old southpaw underwent Tommy John surgery last spring, missing the entirety of the 2020 season and the first half of 2021. He threw three scoreless innings in a first rehab outing last Thursday, striking out five against the rookie-level Orioles in the FCL (formerly the Gulf Coast League).
The Red Sox have said that Sale will rejoin the team when he can pitch five innings in a rehab outing. His next rehab start will likely come Sunday with the Sea Dogs, and his return to the Red Sox rotation could follow soon after.