Red Sox at White Sox lineup: Can Chris Sale cut through his old team?

The Red Sox (27-23) look to clip a two-game losing streak behind ace Chris Sale (2.34 ERA) who will face his old team for the first time when Boston takes on the White Sox (24-26) tonight in Chicago (8:10 p.m., NESN).

Sale has been better than ever for Boston after a hairy year in the Windy City, one that began with him defending the honor of a 14-year-old boy against team brass and didn't get any prettier off the field after that. The summer’s jersey-slashing incident, in which Sale shredded throwback uniforms he refused to wear, wasn’t merely hilarious, but made an offseason deal a fait accompli to which Dave Dombrowski was a willing accomplice.

Thank God for that, because the rest of Dombrowski’s pitching moves have turned out poorly. He traded for damaged goods more than once and as many as three times, but Sale still more than balances the scales, even accounting for the losses of Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopeck.

Sale is just that good, and hopefully he’ll show it again tonight against a lineup that hasn't seen very much of him, by definition. He's opposed by Jose Quintana (4.82 ERA) the other 2016 White Sox ace destined to be traded to a contender by mid-summer. If the Pale Hose gambled that he'd pitch well and they'd sell high, it has turned out poorly. He's due to dominate, but maybe he's saving his best stuff for June.

Dustin Pedroia is on the disabled list as of this afternoon with a wrist injury, and Josh Rutledge takes Pedey’s spot in the field and batting order (both second), while Chris Young and Sam Travis start against the lefty, with Andrew Benintendi and Mitch Moreland sitting again. Here are the full lineups: