Sale calls his record 'absolutely embarrassing'

Veteran lefty eager to improve after another tough outing drops him to 3-8

July 4th, 2019

TORONTO – Something about the Blue Jays’ lineup has given trouble this season, which continued on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre as the lefty battled through 5 2/3 innings without his best strikeout pitch.

Sale allowed nine hits in the Red Sox’s 6-3 loss, the most he’s given up since May 30, 2017, but it still looked like he’d be able to work around them early on. He stranded a baserunner in the first and two in the second, but then the loud contact started to pile up.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. got things started with a solo shot to right, which continued his streak as one of the hottest hitters in the Majors through June and into July. Danny Jansen followed suit in the next inning with a two-run shot before Brandon Drury, who entered play hitting just .202, put an end to Sale’s night with another two-run homer in the sixth. The three home runs were the most that Sale has allowed since his first start of the season, which are the only times this year that he’s allowed more than one.

“I’m throwing the ball over the middle of the plate,” Sale said after the loss. “If you look at the pitches they’re doing major damage on, they’re up out over. I’ve just got to find a way to execute better when I need to.”

Over his three starts against the Blue Jays this season, Sale has allowed 14 runs (13 earned) on 23 hits and nine walks with 16 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings. Sale didn’t hold back in his self criticism, calling this the most frustrated that he’s been in his career.

“I’m supposed to be a big part of this team and a big part of this pitching staff,” Sale said, “And I’ve probably been the biggest crutch. That’s another pretty crappy part. I know who I am and who I’m supposed to be for this team, and I haven’t been anything close.

“I’m 3-8. That’s absolutely embarrassing. That’s not what I need to be and that’s not who I need to be for this team. On a team like this, they need me to be better than that. I haven’t been there for them.”

Even with the highs in hits and home runs against, though, a groundout by Randal Grichuk was one of the night’s more telling at bats.

With two out in the fifth inning, Sale quickly got Grichuk into an 0-2 count with a called strike and swinging strike. From there, Grichuk fouled off eight pitches and took two balls before finally grounding out on the 13th pitch to end the inning. It was the right result for Sale, but it pushed his pitch count up on a night when he struck out just five batters, his lowest total since May 24.

Sale has been adjusting his pitch mix in an attempt to reverse his recent struggles, but the Blue Jays still managed to remain one step ahead and waste the right pitches.

“They had some good at-bats, fouling off pitches,” said manager Alex Cora. “It’s been a theme against them the whole season since the first game in Fenway, then the last start and this one. They keep spoiling pitches and putting good swings on pitches in the zone.”

continued his 2019 power surge with a another home run in the fourth inning, a 408-foot shot, according to Statcast. That gives Vazquez 13 homers on the season as he continues to increase his new career high.

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