Sale Records Double-Digit Strikeouts in 7th Consecutive Start
Despite giving up six runs (five earned) over 6.2 innings in Wednesday's 6-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale joined Nolan Ryan (1977), Randy Johnson (2001) and Pedro Martinez (1999, twice) as the only pitchers to record 10 or more strikeouts in seven consecutive starts during the same season, per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com).
In addition to the streak for double-digit strikeouts, Sale entered Wednesday's start with a streak of five consecutive outings with 12 or more.ย He finished the game at 10 strikeouts, falling two shy of becoming the first pitcher in the modern era (since 1990) to fan 12 batters in six consecutive starts.
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Sale tied Johnson and Martinez at five for that record, but the 26-year-old lefty will still have a shot to break Martinez's mark of eight consecutive starts with 10 or more strikeouts.
Martinez unsurprisingly set that record during his legendary 1999 season, which also included a separate streak of seven consecutive outings with double-digit strikeouts.
Sale won't get any favors from the schedule in his bid to earn another piece of history, as his next two starts line up for Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals and July 6 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
