Sale pitched six innings and allowed no earned runs on one hit and three walks while striking out nine Thursday against the Rays.
Sale looked to be in midseason form in his first start of the season, requiring only 92 pitches to complete six innings. He also had his usual ability to miss bats working as well, generating 13 swinging strikes. The only flaws in his performance were that he couldn't collect a win and that he walked three batters. It's likely that Sale will see more difficult matchups in the future, last season the Rays ranked 26th in OPS as a team against left-handed pitching, but regardless of the strength of the opposing lineup, his season is off to a strong start.