Red Sox tab Sale for Opening Day start

In a move that may not come as much of a surprise, the Boston Red Sox announced left-handed pitcher Chris Sale would start Opening Day at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Sale is coming off an electric first season with the Red Sox, in which he went 17-8 with a 2.90 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and a 12.9 K/9 over an MLB-best 214 1/3 innings. He missed winning his first Cy Young award thanks to an incredible campaign from Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber.

Despite starting three times for the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day, Sale didn't get the nod in his inaugural year in Boston. Rick Porcello took the mound first in 2017 as he was coming off a Cy Young season in 2016.

David Price is expected to start Game 2 with Porcello finishing out the opening series.