Atlanta Braves starter Chris Sale made history in a 13-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds, adding to the growing list of reasons for the Boston Red Sox to regret trading the eight-time All-Star.
Sale’s performance wasn’t masterful (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 2 BB), but it did help him set a single-season mark. The 35-year-old allowed two earned runs or fewer for the 18th straight outing, topping Felix Hernandez (2014) and Walter Johnson (1919) for the longest streak in baseball history, per Stathead.
In 2019, Ryne Stanek of the Tampa Bay Rays started 19 consecutive games while allowing two earned runs or less. However, he served as an opener during that stretch, pitching no more than two innings in each outing.
Sale is a virtual lock to win the National League Cy Young award. On Thursday, the 35-year-old secured his league-leading 18th win of the season and ranks first in the majors in ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (225).
Meanwhile, the Red Sox staff has struggled a bit, sporting the seventh-highest ERA in the American League (4.11). But, if you ask Boston’s chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow, the team doesn’t lament paying Sale $17M to play for the Braves after dumping his salary in a December 2023 trade.
Appearing on “The Greg Hill Show” Thursday, Breslow admitted that the Red Sox and every other MLB team would benefit from having Sale in their rotation. Nonetheless, he still thinks it was the right move for Boston.
“I still believe that this trade can only be fairly judged or evaluated down the road,” Breslow said. “Sure, it hurts that Chris Sale is having such a successful season in another uniform, but I always recognize that when you make these trades that’s always a possibility and his talent was never going to be questioned.”
Breslow may be proven right, but that depends on how Vaughn Grissom, the player acquired in exchange for Sale, plays for the Red Sox. Though, so far, the 23-year-old infielder hasn’t flashed the potential hoped.
Grissom had a rough start in Boston, slashing .148/.207/.161 with three RBI in 23 games to start the season before going down with a hamstring injury. After recovering, the Red Sox optioned him to Triple-A Worcester, where he batted .265/.391/.381 with six home runs and 34 RBI in 54 games.
