Sale (15-7) allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six over 4.1 innings in Sunday's 9-2 loss to the Yankees.
Sale was tagged for three solo home runs, including the first back-to-back job he's ever allowed in the majors. The Yankees worked him over pretty good, getting his pitch count up to 109 before he was lifted. The left-hander's had smooth sailing for most of the season, but he's experienced a drop-off since the calendar flipped to August. Sale has a 4.57 ERA while allowing seven homers over his last seven starts. His performance in 2017 mimics a career pattern of tailing off in the final two months of seasons past; Sale's ERA is under 3.00 from April to July in his career, but it's over 3.00 in August and closes in on 4.00 in September/October. Sale will look to buck that trend when he next takes the hill Saturday at home against the Rays.