McAdam: Too many times this season, Chris Sale hasn't come up big for Sox

When the Red Sox extended Chris Sale last March, it was with the idea that they wanted to make sure that they had him around for another five years for games like the one played Sunday night.

The Yankees. On the Big Stage. With a winning streak they were trying to keep going.

That's the value of having a No. 1 starter as part of your rotation, regardless of cost. They're worth it, to open a playoff series, or, in the regular season, to be the guy to whom a team turns when it really, truly needs a big performance.

But for much of this season, Sale hasn't been that pitcher. There have been brief glimpses of brilliance -- the 17-strikeout performance against Colorado back in May as one example; the complete-game shutout in Kansas City in June -- but not nearly enough.

In fact, too often, Sale has been unable to extend a winning streak or put the brakes on a losing streak.



In April, with the Sox having lost three in a row, he lost to Oakland. In May, when the Sox had won four-of-five, he lost to Houston. With his next turn, the Sox carried a two-game losing streak into Sale's start, and lost again.

In early July, right after the London Debacle and just before the Sox ripped off four straight victories to go into the All-Star break with some momentum, Sale's final first-half outing was a defeat. And when the Sox won the opener of their first series of the second half against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sale was cuffed around for five runs ... and a loss.

Then, Sunday night. The Red Sox had battered the Yankees in the first three games, scoring 38 runs in the process. A win would move them to within seven games and plant additional seeds of doubt in the Yankees, and perhaps force them into doing something desperate by Wednesday's trade deadline.

Instead, Sale spotted the Yankees a 4-0 start and after a two-run homer by Andrew Benintendi got them back in the game in the fourth, Sale proceeded to give up two more in the six, simultaneously ending his night and ending the Sox' hopes of a sweep.

"We had an unbelievable series up until today,'' said Sale after the Yankees managed to snap their three-game losing streak with a 9-6 win. "As I sit here in front of you today, it's the same as a few other starts -- without me, we have a pretty good chance to win this game.

"That's the toughest part. As hard as we've been playing, as well as we've been playing as a whole — top to bottom, our lineup, our starting pitching, our bullpen, everyone has been doing really well, living up to what they need to do. And to come out here and just be flat-out terrible, it's tough. We had a chance to sweep a four-game set against a team that's in front of us. We don't have a whole bunch of games left. It's time to go.''

Sale blamed his inability to maintain his stuff when he pitched out of the stretch. And indeed, three times Sunday night, he gave up huge hits after first issuing a walk, taking him out of his full windup.

As ever, Sale is accountable as few are. He owns up to his failings, takes full responsibility, and makes no excuses. All of which is commendable.

But it's also somewhat hollow after the fact. Sure, Sale feels bad that he couldn't come through when the Sox needed him. But by then, the deed has been done.

Since late March, it has always been something with Sale. Early on, his arm strength wasn't fully built up. On occasion, he's had to try to get by with two pitches, with his changeup not much of a weapon. Sometimes, the fastball hasn't had zip and sometimes, when it plenty of life, Sale couldn't properly command it.

It's not for lack of effort, or investment. Sale cares, he competes and as noted, when he doesn't pitch well, he points the finger of blame only at himself.

More than likely, he'll watch video over the next few days and discover some flaw in his delivery out of the stretch, and make the necessary adjustment for his next start, which will be Friday in New York.

But he's supposed to be much more than this. He's supposed to extend winning streaks, not end them. He's supposed to start winning streaks, not continue losing skids.

That's what No. 1 starters do. That's how they earn their money.

Or not.