Sweeney: Four takeaways from Red Sox-Orioles finale

Since I don’t know when I’m going to get another chance to do this, I might as well step into the box and take my hacks:

If Sale can keep this up, whoa boy: There has always been concerns about Chris Sale’s ability to pitch in the playoffs, given the egg laid by the Sox in the postseason last year. And I’m just thinking out loud here but maybe the DL stint — even though I know people really wanted to take a fast walk to the Tobin when that was announced — was a good thing. He has already thrown a ton of innings so far this season, and with his velocity and the effort he uses to deliver the ball, a little time off in July isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He comes out of this rehab start against the AAAA Orioles on 68 pitches, looking like a well-rested pitcher. And the approach he used in these five innings, between a fastball that touched 99 and an absolutely filthy slider, made the O’s look silly. If he can remain this effective, this efficient, then bottle this and save his heavy workload for October.

When are the Red Sox hitters actually going to do their jobs and hit for Sale?: I’m sure this has been brought up, but seriously — when is this offense going to grit their teeth and deliver in the box for the top half of the rotation, especially for Sale? Go back to 2016: they couldn’t hit for Rick Porcello (game against Detroit on July 25 that year, I’m driving from Sandwich to Truro, wife, mother-in-law, grandmother-in-law in the car, Sox on the Cape EEI station, and the offense just wouldn’t co-operate for him). They didn’t hit for David Price (before his injury), and they don’t hit for Sale. Given all the offensive firepower in this lineup, the Red Sox should have buried Baltimore starter Alex Cobb, who didn’t appear overpowering to me. Now granted…. 30 runs in the first three games of this series in the span of 24-28 hours can take a toll on an offense. But when you have a kid who isn’t exactly throwing gas on the bump, you go up there and you provide offense for your starting pitcher. And yes, I’m looking right at you, Mitch Moreland, seeing as you had an opportunity to give your team at least one more run, maybe two, with a better approach at the plate in the sixth.

This may be unpopular, but the bullpen’s current woes may not really be an issue come the postseason: Think about this for a second. On September 1, the rosters expand. Alex Cora will more than likely call up some arms from Pawtucket to bolster the ‘pen the remainder of the regular season, and to give the current firemen a respite (look at how many innings the bullpen threw in this series, and remember: the original plan was for a three-game series, not a four-game with a doubleheader). And when the Sox get to the postseason, you’re going to be in a situation where the starting rotation won’t be five pitchers; it’ll be three and maybe four, with Sale, Porcello, and Price getting the ball to start, definitely. That will move Eovaldi, Velasquez, BJ, and E-Rod into middle/set-up positions, leading into Kimbrel. If I’m a fan at home, the only way I want Barnes or a Kelly in there is in start-of-inning, no one on base situations against the lower third of the opposing lineup, and even then I want Cora to have a quick hook. Thornburg, you’re holding the pitching chart.

Covering a winning team? What’s that like?: I’ll tell you, that was fun. If you’ve paid attention to my Revolution coverage over the last two months, it hasn’t been all rainbows and unicorns over at Gillette, given The Boys In Blue have won all of one match in their last 10 including the US Open Cup defeat to Louisville City on June 5. But covering a team that knows how close out a game the way the Red Sox did Sunday? That’s great. That was enjoyable…. even as I breathed heavy with Thornburg out there.