Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
The Boston Red Sox have a huge opportunity to close out the Tampa Bay Rays at home in Game 4 of the ALDS. It’ll take Alex Cora avoiding obvious mistakes.
It took 13 innings and a heroic performance from reliever Nick Pivetta for the Red Sox to beat the Rays in Game 3 of the ALDS on Sunday night.
Now they’re one win away from advancing to the ALCS.
What’ll it take for Boston to close out the series?
Mistakes Alex Cora must avoid for the Red Sox to beat the Rays
Don’t pitch Chris Sale in a critical situation
Chris Sale had a disastrous appearance in Game 2, giving up five runs in the first inning before being pulled.
Fortunately for the Red Sox, his teammates bailed him out as the bullpen gave up just one run for the rest of the game and Boston exploded for 14 of their own.
Cora said Sale would be available as a reliever for Game 3 and it stands to reason he could fill a similar role in Game 4.
Sale being available shouldn’t mean throwing him in during a key moment in the game. Now is not the time to put the game in his hands.