Sale shatters Sox strikeout record after 14 Monday

If the White Sox had 24 players like Chris Sale, well, let's just say they wouldn't be last in the AL Central.

Just about every player on the Sox' 25-man roster has had lengthy stretches of inconsistent play this season, but Sale has pretty much gone out and got it done from start to finish.

"I try to just come in every day and do my job," Sale said. "If it's good, it's good; if it's bad, it's bad."

On just about every day the White Sox'an ace starting pitcher takes the mound, it's a good one.

Monday night was no different, as Sale (5-2) shook off two rain delays that totaled 1 hour, 3 minutes, and overwhelmed the Astros in a 3-1 win at U.S. Cellular Field.

"He was fantastic," manager Robin Ventura said. "He's really been on a roll and some of the numbers he's starting to rack up are impressive, especially how long this organization has been here."

Not only did Sale hold Houston to 1 run on 5 hits over 8 innings, the 26-year-old ace established a franchise record by striking out 10 or more for the fourth straight game.

Sale, who fanned 14, also has 12 or more strikeouts in three straight games, the first pitcher to accomplish that feat since Pedro Martinez in 2001.

Typically, he was not impressed.

"I don't pay attention to any of that," Sale said. "Just go out there with everything I've got. I've got a great team behind me. I've got a guy behind the plate (Tyler Flowers) that knows me better than I know myself. He works hard for me back there, really hard. All things considered, it makes it a little easier."

Scoring runs has been the Sox' biggest problem all season, and the offense didn't give Sale very much breathing room with 3 runs on 4 hits.

But struggling left fielder Melky Cabrera's RBI single in the second inning and Avisail Garcia's 2-run homer in the fourth were more than enough as Sale helped the White Sox snap a two-game losing streak.

"You want to win every game, no matter if you've won 12 in a row or lost 12 in a row," Sale said. "When your day comes you want to go out there and do what you can. That's all I'm doing, going out there and doing what I can."

Garcia has homered in two straight games and three of the last four.

"Avi's been on a nice run," Ventura said. "That kid tonight is tough, (Houston starter Lance) McCullers. His stuff is moving all over the place, has a great curve to go with it, it wasn't easy. Once they scored and tied it back up, it was important to come back and get something out of that and Avi's homer ends up holding up, but it's a big one to answer back."