McAdam: When it comes to his fastball, Chris Sale discovers that less is more

For a change, he had all three pitches working at once, something that hasn't happened often in 2019. That, unquestionably, was a big factor in Chris Sale picking up his first win at Fenway this season.

It's a lot easier facing a major league lineup -- especially one that had hung 13 runs on you in 14.1 innings in three previous starts this season -- when you have your full arsenal at your disposal and the luxury of throwing any one of those pitches for strikes.

"Obviously,'' said Sale, "this game's easier if you have more pitches than you can throw at them.''

So, yes, that helped. The slider had regained its tilt and a Sale had a better feel for his changeup, something, as he acknowledged, he really hadn't had all year. The changeup had been more for show than for any specific purpose.

But in the end, Sale is a power pitcher, and especially in 2019, fastball usage rules the day. Sale has a premium fastball, one that routinely registers in the mid-to-upper 90s, and it can overpower the best hitters in the game.

Too often, however, Sale hasn't been able t0 throw it with his usual precision. He's consistently missed his spots, and often, with the worst possible timing — with runners on base. That led to some big innings, some shortened starts and an ERA (4.27) that read like a typographical error.

In the last week, he got plenty of input. Most of the rotation and half of the entire pitching staff watched his bullpen the other day, along with the usual assortment of coaches. He got some input, and welcomed it all. When things aren't going well, you're open to just about anything that might rectify your problems.

Something worked. That much was obvious after Sale blanked the Toronto Blue Jays over six innings with two hits allowed and 12 strikeouts recorded. And undoubtedly, some of the mechanical tinkering and assorted tweaks helped contribute to a turnaround.

But again, this mostly gets back to his fastball.

For the first four or so innings, Sale didn't throw a pitch above 92 mph, no doubt instilling panic in some fans who watch the radar gun readouts the way a nervous stock broker watches the Dow Jones ticker -- with an equal blend of apprehension and outright dread.

Then, in the fifth inning, as if by magic, a more lively fastball made a command appearance. Sale was in a bit of a jam, with two on and two out, and leadoff hitter Freddy Galvis at the plate. He reached back for something extra, and voila, found a 96 mph fastball that the Toronto shortstop couldn't handle.

Point made.

Sale wasn't exactly playing possum. This wasn't some sleight-of-hand that he was performing. Rather, he had a very conscious decision, a tradeoff. He was willing to sacrifice some velocity for command.

"My fastball command hasn't been there,'' said Sale after the Sox shutout the Jays, 5-0. "I think that's where I've been getting most of my problems -- I've been trying to overthrow it, it flattens out and leaks back over the plate. I think overall in this game, you start to realize it's more about commanding the pitches and working different tunnels of the strike zone and I was able to do that today.''

Not long ago, any pitcher who could get his fastball up to 95 mph was a true power pitcher, with the ability to blow the pitch past most major league hitters. Now, 95 mph fastballs are relatively commonplace. Once the exclusive province of All-Star starters or closers, now they are being thrown by run-of-the-mill middle relievers.

Accordingly, everyone tries to compensate. Now, 95 mph is ordinary, and the hardest-throwers aren't content until they can up to 98-99 mph.

But that comes at a cost. The harder you throw, the harder the pitch is to harness. And with even 96-97 mph is hittable if you're not keeping it out of the middle of the plate.

So, in combination with an improved change and slider, Sale had more options at his disposal. That, and the confidence to know that his fastball was going to end up where he intended it to go. And, on the handful of occasions when he needed extra gas, he had some of that in the tank, too.

"Step in the right direction,'' said Sale, careful not to overreact to six innings, as dominant as they were. "But obviously, glad to get this one out of the way and hopefully, we can keep the ball rolling.''