Tampa Bay crushes on Sale, Chicago White Sox
Chris Sale has been one of the best starting pitchers in the game since 2012.
The White Sox' left-hander is a strikeout machine, and he has been to four straight All-Star Games.
When things are going well for Sale — which is very often — the Sox' 26-year-old ace always deflects any praise and credits any and all success to his teammates.
When things aren't going well — which is right now — Sale puts all the blame on himself.
At Boston last Thursday, Sale was on the mound and the White Sox were looking to complete an 8-0 road trip and return to U.S. Cellular Field at 50-50.
Sale allowed 7 runs on 12 hits while lasting just 5 innings and the White Sox lost to the Red Sox.
Returning to the mound against the Rays on Tuesday night, Sale allowed 7 runs on 6 hits in 5⅓ innings and the White Sox fell to Tampa Bay 11-3.
“It's tough,” Sale said. “It seems like I'm the one that always puts us in the opposite direction. I've had a chance to get us closer to .500 or even be at .500. I'm just not doing my job. It's as plain and simple as that. I've got to be better. I have to be better. They need me to be better and I need to be better for myself and for this team.”
Sale has allowed 7 runs in consecutive starts for the first time in his career, and he has given up 6 home runs in his last 6 starts, including 2 to the Rays.
Is health an issue?
“I feel fine,” said Sale, who was hit by a line drive on his left thigh at Boston last week. “My arm feels good, my body feels good, I feel loose. It's just not showing up. I don't know what it is. If I knew what it was I'd definitely try to figure it out. Just bad.
“I'm just not making pitches when I need to make pitches. I'm not keeping the ball in the yard. It seems like I'm just throwing it over the fence for them, really. Like I said, it really stinks.”
After the White Sox lost at home for the eighth time in nine games, catcher Tyler Flowers said Sale's recent downswing is a mystery.
“I don't know,” Flowers said. “For a couple innings there he was locked in command, executing pitches and then the next inning a couple mistakes where they took advantage, walking guys, pretty uncharacteristic of him. I'm not entirely sure, I didn't see anything different aside from just missing spots.
“We all just expect him being an ace and how talented he is to just dominate every time and the reality is he's human.
“He's just showing he's human like the rest of us, and he makes mistakes, too. We all know he's going to work hard, figure out whatever it is and be better next time.”
Sale (9-7) has seen his ERA jump from 2.85 to 3.52 over his last 2 starts.
“It's bad,” he said. “I really don't know what to say about it other than just I've been the weak link (the last) couple times out. I'm not leaving my team a chance to win; I'm not doing my job at all. It's tough.
“It (stinks) sitting in here for four innings watching what you've done just unravel and putting guys in situations they shouldn't be in. That's tough. It really (stinks), honestly.”