Just how will the Red Sox use Chris Sale in the ALCS? Red Sox skipper Alex Cora isn't giving any clues

BOSTON — Alex Cora declined to name a starting pitcher for the opening two games of the American League Championship Series against the Astros. 

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The Red Sox manager demurred when asked the question prior to a team workout Wednesday afternoon at Fenway Park. Boston is scheduled to open Game 1 against Houston on Friday night. 

Nathan Eovaldi would be available on full rest for the Red Sox at Minute Maid Park. But it’s likely a pending decision on Chris Sale that would snap the rotation into order and he’s fresh off a disastrous Game 2 performance against the Rays in the A.L. Division Series. 

“We’re going to talk about it tonight,” Cora said. 

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Sale barely escaped the bottom of the first inning in what wound up to be a 14-6 victory over Tampa Bay. He allowed a grand slam to career journeyman Jordan Luplow on a fastball above the zone that was yanked out to deep left. Tanner Houck saved Boston with five superb innings in relief, one of three bulk stints covered by Red Sox starters during their dismissal of the A.L. East champions. 

“[Sale] will pitch,” Cora said. “He’ll be part of this. He’ll be an important part of this.” 

Right-handed hitters have roasted Sale to the tune of an .824 OPS during his 2021 return from Tommy John surgery. That’s well above his career mark of .653 in left-right matchups. Sale has dominated opponents left-left this season, holding them to a microscopic .346 OPS.  

Would those numbers convince Boston to deploy Sale as a specialist? The Astros almost certainly will spread regular lefties Yordan Alvarez, Michael Brantley and Kyle Tucker throughout their lineup. Offering Boston a ready-made pocket to deploy Sale, Josh Taylor or even Austin Davis — should he be named to the 26-man roster — would be an unlikely strategy from a veteran manager like Dusty Baker. 

“We know what we want to do,” Cora said. “We’ll have our starters be part of the bullpen in Games 1 and 2 and then we’ll decide what we do in Games 3 and 4.” 

Houston’s attack is primarily sparked by an infield that hits exclusively from the right side. And, unlike in the matchup advantages sought by the Rays, this quartet of Astros will be in the lineup regardless of opposing pitcher. Yuli Gurriel, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman drove the final nails into the White Sox during their 3-1 victory in the ALDS. 

Houston’s splits among right-handed hitters during the regular season weren’t all that extreme — a .754 OPS right-right and an .834 OPS left-right. Altuve and Bregman in particular have crushed southpaws throughout their respective careers, posting an OPS of .878 and .981, respectively. Correa and Gurriel are within 30 points in terms of OPS splits against lefties and righties in their careers. 

The Red Sox could opt for Houck or Nick Pivetta to counter the Astros in this series. Houck held right-handed hitters to a .580 OPS this season while Pivetta checked in at .729 — down considerably from his career mark of .804 since his 2017 debut with the Phillies. Both picked up victories in relief against Tampa Bay, helping Boston erase its 1-0 series deficit. 

“What Nick did here in Game 3, that was amazing,” Cora said. “Then we used Tanner again in Game 4. They understand where we’re at. They understand what it takes.” 

Eduardo Rodriguez seems likely to have earned himself another start after working into the sixth inning of Monday’s clincher against the Rays. Rodriguez recovered from his own brutal effort in Game 1 to toss five strong frames and leave with a four-run lead. The Red Sox ultimately walked off with a 6-5 triumph thanks to Kiké Hernandez's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth. 

Has Sale done enough to earn the same sort of second chance from Cora? He was warming and would have been brought on for a save chance in Game 4 if Ryan Brasier hadn't coughed up a 5-3 cushion in the top of the eighth. It was shades of the clinching Game 5 in the 2018 World Series, as Sale — despite two bouts of shoulder inflammation that landed him on the injured list — fanned the side in the bottom of the ninth against the Dodgers. 

“We can be aggressive in Games 1 and 2,” Cora said. “Then, after that, we’ll see where we’re at and we’ll decide which route we go. Having guys who are able to bounce back is very important.  

“We already saw it in this past series. You have to be careful but, at the same time, we know there’s a route there — one day at a time.”  

bkoch@providencejournal.com  

On Twitter: @BillKoch25