Chris Sale Becomes 3rd Player in History with 12 Strikeouts in 5 Straight Games

It's possible that Chris Sale isn't human. 

The Chicago White Sox pitcher once again absolutely dominated, pitching eight innings and giving up just two hits and no walks, while striking out 14 against the Texas Rangers. Tragically, he was awarded a no-decision after David Robertson blew the save opportunity in the top of the ninth and the Rangers won the game, 2-1. 

What Sale did on Friday night—even if the Rangers scored two runs in the top of the night, spoiling what should have been a Sale win—was incredibly impressive on its own. But historically, what Sale is doing right now is downright remarkable. He finds himself in the company of legends such as Randy Johnson, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

Oh, and Pedro Martinez, too, per MLB Stat of the Day on Twitter:

But yes, if you are keeping track at home, just 12 of the 26 batters Sale faced managed to put the ball in play. As Chuck Garfien of CSNChicago.com noted, the Rangers were doomed from the outset:

In fact, the only thing that saved Texas on the night was Sale getting the hook, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News:

Remarkably, this isn't the first time Sale has struck out 14 batters and failed to earn the win, putting him in some interesting company:

Sale is now 6-3 with a 2.74 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 119 strikeouts in 88.2 innings pitched and has established himself as one of baseball's finest pitchers. The run he's currently on is historically good, and he's made a very strong argument for himself as the game's top pitcher at the moment.

One thing is for certain—there isn't a player in baseball who looks forward to seeing Sale take the mound at the moment.