Chris Sale hoping to lighten his early work to preserve himself for later in season

FORT MYERS, Fla. – It’s not yet March, but already, Chris Sale is planning for September, and, he hopes, October.

Last season, like most of the ones that came before it, Sale seemed to tire from the workload of a long season and faltered in the closing weeks. His ERA in August ballooned to 4.38 and in September, it was 3.72, both far higher than the 2.90 he compiled for the season.

So this spring, the Red Sox are tackling the issue headlong. Sale will throw fewer pitches this spring and be mindful of the buildup to the start of the regular season in an effort to preserve himself for when the games mean the most.

“We’ve kind of gotten together a couple of times and talked about different things and a different schedule to build up through spring training,’’ said Sale. “We’re all involved in the training room, in the weight room. We’ve gotten together and talked about coming up with a formula for longevity and building up. I think last year, I came into spring training too amped up, too ready to go and I think we’re kind of looking for more for a gradual buildup.

“I can’t say for certain (that it will preserve me for later in the season), because I haven’t really done it. But that’s the plan, that’s our end goal – seeing things as a whole instead of just in front of you. We’re working on something to create longevity and maintain strength throughout the whole year.’’

Sale would like to find a way to limit his work now – in side sessions, batting practice sessions – rather than have to shorten his outings during the season.

“I think that’s part of it,’’ Sale said. “It’s kind of like a plane taking off – kind of that gradual buildup instead of just a heavy workload up-front and then maintaining that. I’m confident in myself and the people I have in my corner to stay on track. It’s kind of weird doing something different, that I’ve never done. But like I said, I have faith and trust in everyone here to see this process through and make sure that we’re on the positive side of things.’’

Sale isn’t one to watch much video of his starts, but after the season ended, he reflected on his first season with the Red Sox and acknowledged to himself that he “came to spring training a little too prepared. I felt like I had something to prove last year, too. I’m here in a new city with a new team and I felt like I had to kind of prove myself again. I think that came back to bite me in the end, but…I can’t change it now.’’

Inevitably, there will be times over the course of the regular season when Sale will be lifted from a game earlier than he would prefer. But that’s part of the process and he’ll have to get accustomed to it.

“Shoot, I don’t like coming out of the game in the eighth inning with 120 pitches,’’ Sale said. “For me, it’s trusting what the big picture is and knowing that if (Alex Cora) takes me out after the sixth inning, he’s not picking on me; he’s got a job to do. He’s managing the entire team, he’s not just managing me. So he’s doing what’s best for the team and I have 100 percent faith in our coaching staff to get this done.’’