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Sale throws 7 scoreless innings during dominant Red Sox debut

Bob DeChiara / USA TODAY Sports

Chris Sale likely had Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski grinning from ear to ear as the left-hander walked off the Fenway Park mound to an ovation after throwing seven shutout innings during his debut Wednesday.

Sale - the prized acquisition in another headline-making winter for the aggressive Red Sox executive - pitched like the ace Boston hoped it was getting when it shipped top prospects Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech to the South Side of Chicago.

Facing the Pittsburgh Pirates on a chilly night in Boston, Sale stymied the visitors all game long. He tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk - no runner advanced past first base - while striking out seven on 104 pitches.

Sale was exceptionally dominant when facing the middle of the Pirates' order, with Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen, and Gregory Polanco combining to go 0-for-9 with three strikeouts.

The Red Sox offense failed to muster much off Pirates starter Jameson Taillon, however, and Sale was handed a no-decision with the score tied 0-0 when he departed.

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