Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Cora has fond words for Chris Sale ahead of series with Braves

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated 5/6/24

Coming off their worst stretch of baseball in what feels like years, the Braves head back to Truist Park to take on the Red Sox for a two-game set beginning on Tuesday. It’s always fun when Boston comes to town, but this one will be especially emotional for Chris Sale, who is scheduled to make his first start against his former team on Wednesday.

Sale’s tenure with the Red Sox was a tale of two stories. It began about as well as either side could have hoped. He finished second in the AL Cy Young race in 2017 and fourth in 2018 while helping Boston to another World Series, recording the final three outs in the series clinching Game 5 against the Dodgers.

However, the rest of Sale’s time in Boston was marred by a litany of injuries, including Tommy John surgery and a dirt bike accident that caused some fans to question where his priorities lay, which is something his former manager referred to as “bulls---” when asked about facing Chris Sale for the first time since he was traded.

Red Sox fans were understandably frustrated with Sale’s inability to stay healthy, but if we’ve learned anything about him in his short tenure with the Braves, this guy is the ultimate competitor. He is willing to do whatever it takes to be on the field and produce. Sometimes, the body just doesn’t allow it.

Pitchers get injured and they get injured often. It’s the one thing you can count on league-wide every year. Chris Sale has simply experienced some abysmal luck in that department over the last five years. However, he said before the season that this is the first time he’s had a healthy offseason since his early days in Boston, and the results are speaking for themselves. Sale has been arguably the Braves most reliable starter every five days, boasting a 3.44 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 10.3 K/9, and 0.955 WHIP in his new threads. Hopefully, he can keep that momentum trending in the right direction this week against his former team.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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