Back the Red Sox to win the first game of this series. Don't be surprised if Rafael Devers does immediate damage in this one. Turnbull didn't show any signs of being able to get big-league hitters out and was punished by lefties. Spencer Torkelson may have sparked the Tigers' offense against the Astros, but this is a bad matchup because Sale proved he still has swing-and-miss stuff.Īdditionally, the Red Sox offense should get back on track. If Sale can focus on strike one, we could see him rack up the strikeouts against the free-swinging Tigers. But they also swung and missed quite a bit as he had an 80% whiff rate on his slider in that outing. When the Orioles made contact against Sale, it was hard. This was a big issue for the Tigers last season and it hasn't changed through the first two series of this season.ĭetroit is third in baseball in strikeout rate, and while the sample size is small, it's also telling. Much of that has to do with their tendency to swing and miss. Only three hitters in the Tigers lineup have an xBA above. Winter Weekend Red Sox Nation Fan Club Kid Nation Fantasy Camp Red Sox Showcase Red Sox Kids Red Sox Home Fun Red Sox Rewards Red Sox Game Day Program Red Sox Yearbook Red Sox Social Media Clubhouse Experiences and Merchandise Wally the Green Monster Email Newsletters Red Sox Baseball Summer Camps Red Sox Gift Guide Government Affairs William. However, he has an excellent matchup and should bounce back nicely.
Sale was a victim of the long ball against the Orioles as he surrendered seven runs on seven hits, three of which were homers. On the other side, we can't heap praise on Chris Sale for his first performance either.
