Chris Sale refuses to talk about success he’s had against Yankees

Chris Sale is scheduled to start in Game 1 of the ALDS on Friday night, and the Boston Red Sox ace will be facing a team he had great success against this season. But if you think he’s going to talk about that, you’re mistaken.

During his media availability on Thursday, Sale was asked to shed light on why he performed so well against the New York Yankees during the regular season. His response was very brief.

Question: Talk about your success against the Yankees this season.

Chris Sale: "No" pic.twitter.com/FtxNHk3QyD

— Chad Amaral (@Chad_Amaral) October 4, 2018

Sale only made two starts against the Yankees, but they were two of his best of the season. He gave up just one earned run on eight hits in a 14-1 win back in April, and he threw seven shutout innings of one-hit ball against them on June 30.

The message from the left-hander is quite clear — anything that happened prior to Friday night’s playoff game means nothing. The Red Sox set a franchise record for wins this season with 108, but they were swept in the ALDS last year and the year before. Between their recent postseason track record and some of the concerns that popped up after Sale’s last outing, Game 1 is extremely important for Boston. Sale’s all-business approach on Thursday shows how serious he is taking it.