The Boston Red Sox today exercised their 2019 contract option on left-handed pitcher Chris Sale.
 
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made the announcement.
 
Sale, 29, went 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA (37 ER/158.0 IP) over 27 starts in his second season with the Red Sox. Named an All-Star for a seventh consecutive season, he struck out 237 batters and walked only 34 while leading the majors in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (13.50) and WHIP (0.86). Sale recorded the majors' longest scoreless streak (35.0 IP) and the longest homerless streak (74.0 IP) of 2018, as he was named American League Pitcher of the Month in both June and July. During a seven-start stretch from June 24-August 12, he went 6-0 with a 0.20 ERA, the lowest mark by a Red Sox pitcher over any stretch of seven starts since earned runs became an official statistic.
 
In five Postseason appearances (three starts), Sale was 1-0 with a 4.11 ERA (7 ER/15.1 IP), earning the win in Game 1 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees. He came out of the bullpen to throw a perfect eighth inning in the Red Sox' Game 4 victory over the Yankees, then recorded a perfect ninth inning in Game 5 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium, striking out the side for the final outs of the 2018 season. 
 
Acquired by Boston from the Chicago White Sox on December 6, 2016, Sale is 29-12 with a 2.56 ERA (106 ER/372.1 IP) and a .196 opponent batting average in 59 regular season starts for the Red Sox. He has averaged 13.17 strikeouts per 9.0 innings with the club and is the only pitcher ever to start multiple All-Star Games as a member of the Red Sox.