Sale joined David Price (228 strikeouts in 2016) as the third Red Sox pitcher since Jon Lester (225 strikeouts) in 2010 to strike out 200 batters in a season.
Sale should have been able to cruise after getting a five-run lead in the top of the first tonight, but it took him 112 pitches to get through six innings. "He's probably the best player in the game still, so just bare down a little bit and try to execute as best you can". I don't think there's anything better you can ask for. "I like attacking hitters".
Sale has won 11 of his last 13 decisions.
"Certainly after the workload of the last week, that was pretty much called for", Farrell said.
He became just the fourth pitcher to reach the 200-strikeout mark in 20 or fewer starts, joining Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson (three times) and Pedro Martinez. His team needs him in the lineup.
"I've not been around a pitcher that's had that kind of totals", Farrell said of Sale's strikeout numbers.
The pitcher Pedroia and his Red Sox teammates will face Friday is Angels right-hander Ricky Nolasco, who has been unpredictable this season, to say the least. He's an elite pitcher and it's not just with one pitch. "It's with three different ones he can get strikeouts with", Farrell said. "But to see how consistent he's been with strikeouts totals is unique and certainly impressive".
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"It's cool. I definitely appreciate it, " Sale said after the Red Sox' 6-2 win over the Angels.
"Talk about setting the tone", Sale said. "You're only going to get one pitch to hit, so you better make sure you square it up". "It's fun to watch".
The runner-up to AL MVP Mike Trout a year ago, Betts has started each of the last 93 games.
The Angels' first run of the night came in the seventh inning with Sale out of the game. Including his relief outing this season, Fister has made 14 relief appearances in his nine-year career. One out later, Mitch Moreland singled, Hanley Ramirez singled, Xander Bogaerts singled and Bradley doubled, making it 5-0. "I thought we did an outstanding job of stringing hits together, hitting pitches where they were located and using the whole field".
About the only good news for Los Angeles was that the bullpen held the Red Sox hitless after the fourth inning.
But Sale's dominance is even more historic. Fister will be available out of the bullpen starting Monday. The Red Sox came out of the All-Star break using a six-man rotation but chose to go back to five and Fister was the odd man out. He sports a 3.39 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 58/19 K/BB ratio over 61 innings in his first 10 starts.
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