... Left-handers batted .250 (32-128), up from his .165 average in 2014 and his career mark of .194 entering the season.
... Lost four consecutive starts from 9/7-24, posting a 4.88 ERA (13 ER/24.0 IP). Threw 100-plus pitches in 15 straight starts from 5/6-7/25 … threw 22.2 straight scoreless IP from 5/23-6/8, the secondlongest streak of his career (28.0, 5/6-6/2/13). On 5/13 at Yankee Stadium, threw the first 9.0-inning complete game by a CWS pitcher against the Yankees since Jim Abbott on 7/18/95 at the old Yankee Stadium...Was his 10th career complete game. ... Was named to his fourth straight ALAll-Star Team after going 8-4 with a 2.72 ERA (39 ER/119.1 IP) and 157 strikeouts in 17 starts before the break … his 157 strikeouts were a club first-half record, breaking the mark of 143 set by Wilbur Wood in 1973.
n Became the first pitcher since Hall-of-Famer Pedro Martinez in 2002 to lead the AL in both strikeouts and strikeout-towalk ratio (6.52). Well, that’s about as big an unknown as what’s going on in the world right now. Went 2-1 with a 5.93 ERA (18 ER/27.1 IP) over his first five starts and 6-3 with a 1.76 ERA (18 ER/92.0 IP) and 131 strikeouts over his next 12 starts leading into the All-Star Break. We've received your submission.He led the league in strikeouts twice, including in 2017 when he made 308 batters whiff, had the most innings pitched (214¹/₃) in 2017 and twice led the league in complete games (2013 and 2016).Would you like to receive desktop browser notifications about breaking news and other major stories?Though Sale was still a productive fantasy option the past two seasons, it was two straight years in which he started fewer games, pitched fewer innings and saw his velocity dip.
Set career highs in innings, starts, and complete games, and matched his career bests in wins (also 2012) and quality starts (23; also 2013 and 2015).
POSTSEASON: Started Game 1 of the ALDS at HOU and was dealt the loss (5.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, BB, 6 SO)...Surrendered 2 ER over 4.2 relief IP in Game 4 of the ALDS vs. HOU and received the loss (4 H, 6 SO).In 25 starts, went 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA (72 ER/147.1 IP), a 1.09 WHIP, and a .221 opponent AVG...Joined Lefty Grove as the only pitchers ever to record multiple immaculate innings in a single season (5/8 at BAL and 6/5 at KC)...Was the Sox' Opening Day starter for a 2nd consecutive season (3/28 at SEA)...Had also thrown the final pitch of the 2018 season, striking out Manny Machado for the final out of the World Series...Prior to Sale, the last pitcher to record the final out of a World Series and then throw that winning club's first pitch of the following regular season was SF's Madison Bumgarner (2014-15)...The last AL pitcher to do so was BAL's Scott McGregor (1983-84), and the only other Sox pitcher to do it was Carl Mays (1918-19)...Sale is the only pitcher since at least 1908 to strike out the final batter of a World Series (Machado), then also strike out the first batter that winning club faced in the following regular season (Mitch Haniger)...Ranked 8th in the AL with 218 SO, despite missing the final month and a half of the season on the injured list with left elbow inflammation...Made his final start of the season on 8/13 at CLE...Recorded his 7th straight 200-SO season...The only other pitcher with 200+ SO in each season from 2013-19 was Max Scherzer...Is 1 of 5 pitchers in ML history with 200+ SO in 7+ consecutive seasons (Walter Johnson, Tom Seaver, Roger Clemens, Max Scherzer)...His average of 13.32 SO/9.0 IP ranked 2nd in the majors (min. Struck out 200-plus batters for the third consecutive season, joining Walsh (1910-12) as the only pitchers in Sox history to accomplish the feat … recorded 200.0-plus IP and 30-plus starts for the second time in his career (also 2013).