Red Sox starter Chris Sale’s struggles on the mound continued Monday during his fifth appearance of the season. It was Sale’s second start against the Orioles this year, and much like the first, Boston’s AL East rivals got the best of the veteran lefty.
Baltimore used a big fourth inning, during which they scored three runs, to erase the Red Sox’s early lead. After another disappointing outing, Sale lost his cool upon returning to the dugout.
In between innings, a disgruntled Sale could be seen on the delivering end of a brutal beatdown targeted at the Gatorade cooler in Boston’s dugout.
Please don't do that Chris Sale. pic.twitter.com/4Mn52K169F
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) April 24, 2023
Coaches and teammates nearby did an impressive job of not reacting, keeping their gaze fixated squarely on the field in front of them.
Sale tossed five innings for Boston on Monday, surrendering five runs on nine hits and failing to record a single strikeout. It was the first time that Sale has pitched more than one inning without recording a single strikeout since Aug. 21, 2011, when he was a relief pitcher for the White Sox. He hadn’t recorded fewer than six strikeouts in any of his first four starts this year.
The rough outing on Monday saw Sale’s season ERA balloon to an unsightly 8.22, having surrendered fewer than three runs in just one of his five starts this year.
After another tough go against the Orioles on Monday, Sale’s frustrations boiled over.
