Sale getting better with every outing

DETROIT - He's got the arm. Equally important, he's got the mental makeup.

Once again, Chris Sale displayed both attributes during Monday's extra-inning win over the Tigers at Comerica Park.

Called on with one on and one out in the eighth inning, Sale proceeded to retire all eight hitters he faced while logging a season-high 22/3 innings and picking up his first major-league win.

Not bad for a guy who was pitching for Florida Gulf Coast University in May.

"He's good," said catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who playfully drilled Sale in the back with the rosin bag after the White Sox improved to 7-0 on their road trip.

"Considering he was in college three months ago, for him to be able to do what he's done is pretty darned amazing.

"You don't see too many guys that are able to do that, especially right out of college, come in the middle of a pennant race and go out and dominate big-league hitters the way he has.

"He's got a chance to be pretty special. You can see why he was drafted as high as he was."

Sale, 21, was drafted on the first round (No. 13 overall) in June, and he joined the Sox on Aug. 4 after making brief stops with Class A Winston-Salem and AAA Charlotte.

Initially handled with kid gloves due to his age and lack of experience, Sale has quickly become a key cog in the White Sox' bullpen.

"This is far beyond where I thought I was going to be right now," the left-hander said after lowering his ERA to 0.66. "I figured I would get a few chances, up 5 (runs), down 5, stuff like that.

"It's been awesome. I thank them for how much trust they put and have in me. It's very gratifying."

Sale has earned the trust, and manager Ozzie Guillen didn't think twice about stretching him out against the Tigers.

"Sale, a very pleasant surprise, very nice," Guillen said. "I loved the way he was throwing. If we can't use him tomorrow then why not use him another inning?"

Long, short, ninth inning or fifth, Sale has shown he can do it all despite a lack of experience.

"I felt good today," he said. "The first inning, I didn't feel 100 percent. As the game went on, I loosened up a little bit more. I felt like this is one of my better outings."