Chris Sale ties modern era record with 12 or more strikeouts in 5 straight starts
Chris Sale is proving to be too much for major league hitters. Unfortunately, his team couldn't keep up with him.
But if you ask Sale, he'll shut down questions about his team's inability to put runs up when he's on the bump.
"That's kind of a crappy question to ask, really," Sale said following a no-decision in a 2-1 loss to the Texas Rangers. "You think I'm gonna say something bad about one of my teammates, you're dead wrong.
"We have a bunch of fighters in here. We have guys that come in here every single day and play as hard as they can, plain and simple."
With his 14-strikeout performance Friday night, Sale joined Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson as the only pitchers in the modern era to punch out 12 or more batters in five consecutive starts.
| Date | Opponent | IP | ER | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28 | BAL | 7 2/3 | 0 | 12 |
| June 3 | TEX | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| June 8 | HOU | 8 | 1 | 14 |
| June 14 | TB | 6 2/3 | 2 | 12 |
| June 19 | TEX | 8 | 0 | 14 |
Prior to that milestone, though, he managed to reach another.
After notching his 10th strikeout of the game, Sale became the first pitcher since Johnson in 2002 to record 10 or more strikeouts in six consecutive starts.
Despite allowing two earned runs in his last two starts combined, he failed to get the victory. Again, he deflected any negative attention that might be directed towards his club.
"Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't," he said. "Tonight it didn't, and it hasn't for a few games. But that doesn't mean that we're doing anything different or going to point a finger at anybody."
But although he's defending his team, White Sox reliever David Robertson, who failed to protect the one-run cushion, felt terrible for blowing the lead.
"It's frustrating," Robertson said. "I feel awful because with how well Sale pitched tonight and I went out there and blew it. I'm supposed to pick the guys up right there. That’s what I'm here for, and I couldn't nail it down."
Sale has thrown 45 1/3 innings over his last six starts and owning a 1.19 ERA in that span to go along with his 75 strikeouts. He's also struck out at least one batter in 35 consecutive innings dating back to five consecutive starts.