Chris Sale To Get Start For Red Sox On Opening Day

Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced Sunday that lefty ace Chris Sale will get the start against the Seattle Mariners on opening day.

Sale will face the Mariners at T-Mobile Park on March 28. Cora said the decision to start the seven-time All-Star was not a difficult one.

"Very easy," said Cora. "What he did last year, obviously he didn’t pitch towards the end. We took care of him and he pitched every Game 1 in the playoffs. He was having a Cy Young season. You saw him yesterday. He looks pretty good. It was very simple."

It will be Sale's second Opening Day start for the Red Sox and the fifth of his career.

"I appreciate the fact that I'm the one he chose to start on Opening Day," said Sale. "At the same time, that doesn't take away from anyone else in our rotation. I think at the end of the year, when the dust settles, it's going to be pretty close all around."

Sale was dominant in his spring training debut on Saturday against the Braves. He tossed four shutout innings, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out seven.

The 29-year-old Sale went 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA in 27 starts last season.

Left shoulder issues sidelined him for most of the second half, but he was back in time to assist the Red Sox in the playoffs, capping their historic championship run by striking out Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado to end the World Series.