6 years agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale went six innings, allowing just one run on three hits while walking two and striking out only one in a 1-0 loss to Oakland on Tuesday. The only notch on the scoreboard was a solo shot off the bat of Matt Chapman in the first inning. This was a big change of pace from Sale's first start of the season when he gave up three home runs and only lasted three innings. The southpaw threw 87 pitches in the outing, but his four-seam fastball velocity topped out at 92 mph and averaged just 89.1 mph, marking the lowest of his career, according to Baseball Savant. While the result was much better this time around, the stat line is not what fantasy owners are looking for out of one of the top two pitchers off draft boards. Next time out he'll face the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. It's still early in the season, so owners can continue to start Sale without question, even when he is clearly working through some mechanical issues.--Steve Janik - RotoBaller
Source: Christopher Smith - MassLive.com