HOUSTON -- Games like the one set to be played Thursday afternoon at Minute Maid Park are the reason Chris Sale is a member of the Red Sox.
That’s not to minimize what Sale accomplished in his first regular season with the Red Sox, a year that saw him lead the majors in innings pitched and strikeouts. His 32 starts – during which the Red Sox as a team went 22-10 – were big contributing factors in the club winning the American League East.
The regular season isn’t merely the first course. But the Red Sox have championship aspirations, and their goals don’t end when the regular season does. To the contrary, they envision and expect a long run into October.
In that sense, Sale has been working toward Thursday’s start from the start of spring training.
“A lot of hard work goes into this,’’ said Sale on the eve of his playoff debut. “The ups and downs of the season, the battle, the travel and all this other stuff. So to be sitting here right now is pretty fulfilling.’’
You can count the number of true No. 1 starters in baseball on perhaps two hands. But that might constitute a different list than the number of true, playoff-tested aces. There’s Corey Kluber, Sale’s chief competition for the Cy Young Award. There’s Madison Bumgarner. And there’s old friend Jon Lester.
The rest? The game is littered with top-of-the-rotation starters who haven’t been able to carry their regular season excellence into the post-season. Clayton Kershaw has undoubtedly been baseball’s best starter over the last seven or so seasons, but his post-season ERA (4.55) is almost double his regular season ERA (2.36).
Sale need look no further than across the Red Sox clubhouse to find another example: David Price has won a Cy Young award, finished second another time and sports a .651 winning percentage. But in nine post-season starts, he’s yet to win a game and his post-season ERA is an unsightly 5.74 those outings.
Translation: there are no guarantees.
Regular season excellence is no assurance of post-season dominance. But there’s something about Sale’s demeanor that leaves you with the notion that he’s different than Price. On Wednesday, Sale was equal parts relaxed and determined.
“To me, it’s going to be hard not to, but (I’ll) try not to put too much emphasis on it and try to treat this just like another game,’’ Sale said. “You get a little amped up sometimes and you kind of go crazy. So I’m trying to just go out there and pitch my game and act like this is just another one along the way.’’
Admittedly, that might be easier said than done. Sale understands the pressure that comes with drawing a Game 1 assignment – even if he’s never made one before. The Red Sox’ rotation is uncertain after Game 2 starter Drew Pomeranz, and based on their most recent efforts, neither Eduardo Rodriguez nor Rick Porcello can be counted on as a sure thing.
But even as Sale realizes a long-held goal of getting to be part of a playoff team, there’s a sense that the last thing he needs is to allow the moment to overwhelm him.
Again, no guarantees exist, but his manager seemed to harbor little doubt that Sale is eminently capable of pitching as well in October as he habitually does from April through September.
“I think (this stage) somewhat compares the way he came into Boston following the trade (from Chicago last December),’’ said John Farrell. “He handled it without it being a distraction, he handled with a consistency to his routine and being true to himself and who he is as a performer, as a pitcher.
“I would venture to say, knowing Chris the person, that the same approach will be applied (Thursday) and I think the beauty of Chris Sale is that he focuses solely on the things that he can control – something as a simple as commanding the count. Strike one. Keeping it pretty much to the basics.
“He’s done such an excellent job of that, coming in with all the expectations and the (attention) from the trade. He’s handled it beautifully. And I would suspect this stage, this next set of games he’s going to experience for the first time, will be handled the same way.’’
Indeed, Sale confirmed as much. He’s not one to bury himself in scouting reports during the season, preferring to take the mound with uncluttered mind, and Wednesday, he confirmed that will be his approach in the playoffs, too.
Why change what’s worked in the past? Why deviate from the norm?
Of course, the post-season isn’t the same as the regular season. But if treating it as such works for Sale, that’s fine, too.
A year ago, the pitcher upon whom the Sox had lavished $217 million executed a belly flop in his first post-season start. On Thursday, the pitcher for whom the Sox dealt off their two best prospects gets his turn.
Here’s betting the results are better, which, admittedly, isn’t as a high bar to clear.