Sale (17-8) suffered a loss at the hands of the Blue Jays on Tuesday after allowing five runs on eight hits -- half of which left the yard -- over five innings. He struck out eight, walked two and hit a batter.
The end result was unfortunate, but Sale's 2017 strikeout total is now up to 308. With a playoff spot on lock, the Sox may use someone else when the ace lefty's turn comes up again Sunday, giving him some extra rest for the playoffs. If that is indeed what transpires, Sale will finish with a 2.90 ERA and 0.97 WHIP as well as the fifth-highest whiff count of the current millennium.