Chris Sale tosses four innings in rehab start for Portland
BOSTON -- After throwing four solid innings in a rehab start for the Portland Sea Dogs on Thursday night, Chris Sale is getting closer and closer to a return to the Red Sox.
The lefty was electric Thursday night at Hadlock Field, striking out seven while allowing four hits and one run to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He threw 52 pitches in the outing, 36 of which were strikes. He hit 96 mph with his fastball and had all his pitches working in the outing.
Sale fanned the first batter that he faced as part of a 1-2-3 first inning. He struck out the side in the second inning, with a single mixed in. New Hampshire led off the third inning with back-to-back hits, including an RBI double, but Sale escaped further damage when a runner was thrown out at home as part of an inning-ending double play.
He struck out the side again in the fourth, and walked off the mound confident that he was ready to return to the Majors. Chances are he'll make one more rehab start in the minors before returning to the Red Sox, since the team wants him to build up to five innings before activating their ace.
"Man, if they told me I'm starting in five days from now, I wouldn't flinch," Sale said of his return to the big leagues. "I would be excited for that. ... If I can get through five, six innings and be like I was today, I think we'd be ready to go for the next one."
Sale said that decision was out of his hands, but he's incredibly eager to get back on a Major League mound. He will likely make one more start in the minors for the Worcester Red Sox next week.
If Sale does make one more rehab start, he'd be lined up to return to the Red Sox on July 11 in St. Petersburg against the Rays.
