After 2-10 Stretch, Red Sox Have Won 4 of 5, Will Play At Yankees For Three Games, Including Tuesday Doubleheader

The Red Sox starting rotation, boosted by the return of Chris Sale, has a 2.39 ERA in the last nine games, with 61 strikeouts and 11 walks in 49 innings. The team has gone 5-4 since August 7.

Eduardo Rodriguez has a 1.10 ERA in three August starts, allowing only two earned runs (and striking out 24 batters) in 16.1 innings.

Nathan Eovaldi, Tanner Houck, and Nick Pivetta are in the 3-4-5 spots, with Garrett Richards and Martín Pérez having moved to the bullpen.

Sale returned to the mound last Saturday for the first time in 732 days. His line was solid (5-6-2-0-8, 89), the two runs coming on back-to-back home runs in the third inning. Sale was simply glad to be back at work.

I don't do too well at waiting around and not pulling my end of the slack. . . . This thing was taken from me for the past two years. It made me realize how much I needed this game and how much I needed my teammates. . . . I'll be completely honest. I took days for granted. . . . I took weeks for granted. Through all of this, I've had a huge perspective change. I'm not wasting another damn day of my big league career.

After a stretch of losing 10 of 12 games, the Red Sox (now 3 GB the Rays in the AL East) have won four of their last five. They visit Yankee Stadium for a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday and a single game on Wednesday. The Yankees (4-3 in their last seven games, but winners of 9 of their last 12, and 14 of their last 19) are 5.5 GB. The Rays will host the Orioles.