Grissom’s a Ghost, Sale’s a Cy Young, and the Sox Are Toast
After being swept in Detroit, the Red Sox return to Fenway to face the Braves in a three-game series starting Friday, May 16. The opener features a compelling matchup: Boston's Garrett Crochet against Atlanta's Chris Sale. Sale, traded by the Red Sox for Vaughn Grissom, now seeks to make a statement against his former team.
By: Jim Dalfino
The Red Sox just got swept by the Detroit Tigers — a team with less offensive firepower than a Little League All-Star squad — and now they limp back to Fenway to face a Braves team that has underperformed but is still dangerous as hell.
It starts Friday with what feels like the cruelest storyline of all: Chris Sale vs. Boston, the very team that gave him away for a bag of potential named Vaughn Grissom, who’s currently hitting .257 in the minors with 3 home runs. Translation: The Red Sox gave up a Cy Young winner for a ghost with cleats.
Sale may have lost a tick off the fastball, but he’s still racking up strikeouts like it's 2018. And you know he’s circling this start in blood — this is a man who throws scissors at locker room decorations for less.
🔥 Why I Think the Braves Will Take the Series
Let’s be real: the Sox are spiraling.
They just got punked by Detroit in a sweep.
Their offense is questionable, with players either pressing or disappearing (hi, Trevor Story)
The bullpen is unreliable, the rotation is patchwork, and Cora is managing like it’s his last week on the job — which, maybe it should be.
Meanwhile, Atlanta has been quiet… too quiet. They’ve hovered around .500, but they have the firepower to erupt — and they’ve been better on the road than you’d expect. Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Austin Riley are more than capable of taking advantage of Fenway’s short porch and Boston’s long list of pitching mistakes.
Add in Sale’s revenge narrative and the fact that Boston is playing tight, scared, and uninspired baseball?
This feels like a classic "sweep-the-leg" moment from a better-built team.
🔥 Sale vs. Sox: A Trade Revisited
Chris Sale, the 2024 NL Cy Young winner, has had a challenging start to 2025 with a 1–3 record and a 3.97 ERA over nine starts. Despite maintaining a high strikeout rate (64 Ks), his WHIP stands at 1.41, indicating control issues. Sale's average fastball velocity has dipped to around 92.7 mph, raising concerns about his effectiveness.
Vaughn Grissom, acquired in the trade for Sale, has struggled to make an impact. In 140 at-bats, he's batting .257 with 3 home runs and 16 RBIs, resulting in a .721 OPS. His performance has yet to meet expectations, and he's currently in the minors.
🧢 Series Overview: Braves at Red Sox
Game 1 – Friday, May 16 at 7:10 PM ET
Pitching Matchup: Garrett Crochet (BOS) vs. Chris Sale (ATL)
This is the one everyone’s watching. If Sale goes 6+ with 10 Ks, this place is going to be a therapy session by the 5th inning.
Game 2 – Saturday, May 17 at 4:15 PM ET
Pitching Matchup: Giolito vs. Holmes
Lucas Giolito is coming off a bounce back performance. Will it be enough to tackle the Braves lineup?
Game 3 – Sunday, May 18 at 1:35 PM ET
Pitching Matchup: Brayan Bello vs. Spencer Schwellenbach
The series finale will be crucial for both teams as they look to gain momentum.
🔍 What to Watch For
Does Cora learn from his bullpen disasters? Doubtful. But we’ll watch him bring in the wrong reliever anyway.
Can Grissom prove he's not a bust? (Unlikely. No sign he gets a call-up at this point.)
Will Sale hold back? Not a chance. Expect fire and maybe a few stare-downs toward the Sox dugout.
⚾ Final Word
If Boston has any pride left, they show it this weekend. But right now, they look like a team stuck in the middle — no identity, no urgency, and no reason to believe they can take this series.
Prediction: Braves take 2 of 3, and the Sox walk off Sunday still searching for answers.
Stay tuned — because if this gets ugly, we’ll be back to break down every bullpen misfire, lineup mess, and postgame excuse.
#RedSox #MLB #ChrisSale #BastardsOfBoston #SoxVsBraves #FireCora 🧢🔥