Incredible start to Sale's Red Sox career matching Pedro's

It hasn't taken long for Chris Sale to become a hero in Beantown.

Then again, when the first impression you make on Boston Red Sox fans is basically a left-handed imitation of maybe the most beloved pitcher in franchise history, it's hard to go wrong.

And that's exactly what Sale, who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a blockbuster transaction over the winter, has been doing this April. Through four nearly impeccable starts for Boston, Sale's all but matched what Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez did in his first four outings with the club in April 1998. It's even more remarkable when you consider both pitchers established their credentials as fearsome strikeout machines with (mostly) losing teams before being traded to the Red Sox in huge offseason moves.

Both Sale and Martinez then surpassed the 10-strikeout mark in three of their first four starts, and Sale's dominant, historic 13-strikeout performance in Toronto on Thursday even matched Martinez's 1998 season high (Aug. 7, 1998 at Texas).

SALE VS. PEDRO THROUGH FIRST 4 RED SOX STARTS

The 28-year-old also made club history in Thursday's start by becoming the first Red Sox pitcher to allow five hits or fewer in each of his first four outings with the team, according to WEEI's Rob Bradford. He also became the first Red Sox hurler to post consecutive 12-strikeout outings since - you guessed it - Pedro, in 2001.

One of the only other noticeable differences between the two so far is the fact Martinez pitched into the ninth inning in two of his first four Red Sox outings; one was a complete-game shutout, the other saw him lifted from a tie game after nine. Sale has yet to reach the ninth inning this year, though he did toss eight shutout frames Thursday. Manager John Farrell's decision to lift Sale for Craig Kimbrel in the ninth despite his dominance raised some eyebrows, even with the team's victory.

The similarities between Sale and Martinez don't stop at statistics. Both began their careers with seasons in the bullpen before moving to the rotation for good, and first emerged as stars outside of Boston; they also both appeared in at least five All-Star Games before their age-30 seasons.

"I saw it (with Pedro), and now I see Chris," Red Sox bullpen coach Dana LeVangie, who served as the club's bullpen catcher when Martinez pitched for them, told Tim Britton of the Providence Journal. "He steps on the mound and there's an edge. That's what Pedro had every time he stepped to the mound.

"You can see it in the eyes. It's all comparable."

Even the Hall of Famer himself has taken notice, as Martinez took time Thursday to heap some praise on the new Red Sox ace.

If Sale's torrid start continues, he could very well one-up Martinez by winning the Cy Young in his first year with the club. Martinez already had a Cy Young to his name before Boston, in 1997 with the Expos, and was runner-up to Roger Clemens in the 1998 AL vote; he'd win his second career Cy Young, and first in Boston, in 1999. Sale, of course, doesn't own a Cy yet despite finishing top five in voting each of the last four seasons.

One thing is for sure: The longer Sale pitches like this in a Red Sox uniform, the more you'll hear him compared to the great No. 45.