The Red Sox ace takes the mound for his first major-league game of 2019.
Saturday is a big day for Red Sox fans, as it’s the first time this year we’ll be able to see ace Chris Sale in action. The lefty did appear in a minor-league game last week, but that obviously wasn’t televised. This will be his first game against major-league competition. Sale is, of course, set to hit free agency after the season, and potential extension talks with him will dominate conversation all year. It will be interesting to see where his velocity is on Saturday, but let this serve as a reminder not to read too much into it. They asked him to hold back a bit his last time out, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the same happens for this one. In the field, Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez headline the position player group.
Here are the full lineups:
Saturday’s game will indeed be televised, with NESN getting the broadcast. If you are out of NESN’s broadcasting territory, you can of course watch on MLB.TV with a subscription. Failing that, MLB Network will be replaying the game at 8:00 PM ET tonight. This game will also be available on radio broadcast, with FM 93.7 WEEI having the call. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM ET.