BOSTON - Chris Sale has gone from cutting up jerseys to cherishing them.
The new Red Sox ace is a pretty understated guy, crediting his defense and his catcher Wednesday night after seven excellent shutout innings against the Pirates.
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But Sale also made clear that his first start with his new team really struck a chord. He was touched by the fans, to the point he wanted a memento.
CSNNE’s Bill Messina learned Sale walked out of the clubhouse Wednesday night with a little memento: the home white jersey he wore while striking out seven and allowing no runs in seven innings.
Best of all: Sale joked that he learned from Tom Brady that it's best to keep a watchful eye on game-used shirts.
Boston Red Sox
The Sox lefty was feeling the Fenway vibes Thursday night — two days after Brady and that Super Bowl LI jersey that went missing were at Fenway Park for Opening Day.
“I get nervous before every game. Tonight was a little bit different obviously,” Sale said in his group scrum after the game. “It was my first time pitching here in the home whites.
“Walking out to the bullpen today before I even threw my first warmup pitch, people were losing their minds. Walking off in the seventh inning, that’s another feeling I’ll never forget. That’s special. That’s awesome. And I appreciate it.”
Sale wore short sleeves in some very cold weather. But the Florida native got used to the cold pitching with the White Sox in Chicago.
“Everyone has to play in it. It’s just part of it early on in the season and late in the season,” Sale said. “It’s going to be cold. That’s what we sign up for. The other team has to play in it too. You deal with it and just play.”