Chris Sale showed a startling loss of command and velocity in his Game 1 start

One day after Chris Sale declared that he faced no physical limitations in his start against the Astros in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, the Red Sox ace didn’t back the claim in a four-inning start against the Astros. Though he gave up just two runs on one hit, the lefthander showed both significantly reduced stuff and a startling loss of the strike zone in a highly uncharacteristic outing. Sale worked around a leadoff walk to George Springer to pitch a scoreless first inning, but after two quick outs to open the second, the quality of his pitches eroded rapidly. Sale — who averaged 94.6 miles per hour in his ALDS start against the Yankees — combined diminished fastball velocity (92.0 m.p.h. on his four-seamer) with an inability to land his slider for strikes in the second and third innings. The combination left him without putaway weapons, with the result that Sale walked No. 7 hitter Carlos Correa, hit No. 8 hitter Martin Maldonado, and walked No. 9 hitter Josh Reddick. With the bases loaded and two outs, Springer fouled off a pair of two-strike fastballs while working the count to 3-2. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Springer scorched a two-run single under the glove of third baseman Eduardo Nunez. Though Sale escaped the frame by getting a Jose Altuve groundout, the 34-pitch inning was sufficiently taxing — and a deep enough struggle — that it forced the Red Sox to warm up reliever Joe… [Read full story]