AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ASTROS VS RED SOX

October 14, 2021

Chris Sale

Minute Maid Park

Boston Red Sox

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Hey, Chris. Just what were your thoughts when Alex said you were going in Game 1, knowing you and how emotional you are, how pumped are you for tomorrow night?

CHRIS SALE: Really. I mean, this is what we're all here for. You know, we've seen these guys a couple of times in the postseason. We know what we're up against, so just more exciting baseball and trying to get off on the right foot, Game 1.

Q. Chris, the way things have gone for you the last couple of times out there, what did it mean for Alex to show that confidence in you even though you obviously weren't feeling your best the last couple of times on the mound?

CHRIS SALE: Yeah, it says a lot about him, you know, and his trust in me. I appreciate that. I don't take that lightly. You know, there's no hiding from it, no secret. I haven't been real -- I've been absolutely horrible. Probably my two worst starts of my career back-to-back leading up to this. You know, I know what I had to do in between. I know I had a job to do, and I knew I had work to get in. Following my last start in Tampa, I got off the mound every single day because I knew I had to get something going if we were going to be successful, and I know that I'm going to be a part of that. Trying to iron out some kinks and get back in a good rhythm and find it and just ride it out as long as I can.

Q. Chris, you made your playoff debut in this ballpark four years ago. How different will tomorrow be in terms of atmosphere, preparation, your comfort level, having been through a handful of postseason starts since then and enjoying some success?

CHRIS SALE: I think experience helps. You know, knowing what you're coming down into. Like you said, we've been here before a couple of times in the postseason, so just more of the same. I got to be aggressive. I know these guys have a good lineup. I also know what we're capable of. I just got to go up there and throw up as many zeros as I can, keep it close, and let our offense shine and do what they do.

Q. Chris, with the work you've been doing, have you been able to get your changeup back?

CHRIS SALE: Yeah. Changeup and just fastball command are the two things that I was really -- my slider has been good enough, you know, I would say up to this point. The two things I really needed to focus on was fastball command and just, like I said last time m-- consistency with my changeup. Throwing three out of ten good is not cutting it here, and that was something that I really tried to focus on and sharpen over the last few days.

Q. You know, Tommy Johns recovery doesn't always go in a straight line. Did you hit a wall to some degree, or was it just a matter of commanding your pitches? Was there anything physical going on?

CHRIS SALE: No, it was just one of those things. It kind of got out of whack. You know, I'm not one for excuses, but I had two years off. You know, I didn't do much pitching. I did zero pitching, actually, so I needed repetitions. Any time you want to be good at something or any time you want to be consistent at something you need reps. You just have to do it.

You can't run a marathon without running a marathon. You can't just wake up one day and say, you know what, I'm just going to run 26 miles and then do it and think you're going to be successful at that. You have to practice that, and you have to just day in and day out just relentlessly, tirelessly work on that, and over the last week I've had enough time to do that, and we'll see what we get tomorrow, but I like where we're at.

Q. Like you said, like there's no easy answers to Tommy John. Did anyone give you any advice that really stuck for you because, obviously, guys have gone through and this and the ups and downs of it?

CHRIS SALE: Yeah, I've said it through the whole process. I've had a lot of very encouraging words through this process. A lot of good people in my corner: teammates, friends, family, trainers, everybody. Everyone has had a hand in me getting where I'm at here, and I'm appreciative of that. And even over this last week, you know, teammates coming up and just picking me up and just little subtle things like, "Hey, this is maybe something I saw," or "Let's check this out" or "Look at this."

That makes it better because you feel lesser than dirt when -- or I do, anyways -- after that last start of mine in Tampa. You know, and I put a lot of pressure on myself, and for my teammates to come and say, "Hey, man, you're good. You're the same guy. Keep grinding," that says a lot about who I have in my corner and the teammates I have, and I'm appreciative of that.

Q. Chris, since you closed out the World Series three years ago, so much has happened for you personally and for the club. Can you talk about how different your perspective is now and perhaps if you have more appreciation for this or just three years later how you feel about it?

CHRIS SALE: Yeah, I mean, I know what it takes. We've been there as a team. We collectively know what it takes to get to the top and chase that pinnacle that we're all chasing.

How quickly it came crashing down a year later, personally for myself. As a team we didn't have a great year, but, you know, yeah, I had a lot of time off, and I had a lot of time to really get back to appreciating the little things and, you know, trying not to make more of something that isn't. And like I said a month or so ago, I don't take days for granted. I don't have off days. I don't waste Big League time anymore, and I think that gives me a clear mind pitching.

When I suck, I know, hey, at least I did everything I could to get here. Not that I'll ever be okay with it, but it makes it easier to get back on the horse and say, all right, man, no one is going to feel bad for you. Back on the grind. You know, my work, my dedication I think is higher, and my appreciation for what I do is much higher.

Q. Since the last time you met in the playoffs against the Astros, they've lost George Springer and added Joran Alvarez and Kyle Tucker. How does this lineup stack up against some of the better ones you've faced?

CHRIS SALE: I think they're very similar in a lot of ways, like you said, where the numbers speak for themselves. I think they were one of the top offenses in the league. Like I said, we know what we're up against. We know who is in the other dugout. It's just about us executing. Like I said, we got a lineup that is just as dangerous if not more, so it's going to be on us to keep them at bay so our lineup can go and do their thing and feel comfortable in those spots.

Q. Chris, obviously, it wasn't the start that you wanted in Game 2 of the ALDS, but what were your impressions of the work done by kind of the long relievers, you know, whether it was Houck or Pivetta over the course? And how critical do you view them as moving forward in this series?

CHRIS SALE: I don't think that we can give those guys enough credit, honestly. And not just them. You know, just as a whole our entire team, our coaching staff, from top to bottom. That game got out of hand quick, and how many times have you seen just something like that happens, the energy just completely shifts and never comes back. We've been up against a pretty tall order the entire year, in terms of people not thinking we were who we thought we were, you know, or people trying to tell us who we are.

And up to this point, we've done nothing but prove those people wrong, and that's not because we don't believe. That's not because we don't put in the hard work. Everything that we've done this entire year has been incredible because of the work, because of the drive, because of our mentality, you know, and I think A.C. has a lot to do with that. I think that he is an unbelievable leader. You know, I've been with him for, shoot, three years now. Even in one of those years I was still keeping in really good contact with him. So he just makes you feel a certain way, and he gives you a certain confidence going into games. Good, bad, or indifferent, it doesn't matter who we're facing, if we're up ten, down ten. His steadiness is felt throughout the entire team and throughout the entire organization. All those things combined make for something pretty special, and that's why we're here.