Sale (9-0) kept his record pristine by posting his second consecutive complete game Thursday, holding the Astros to four hits and one run (a solo homer) while striking out nine.
Sale, Jake Arrieta and Clayton Kershaw are in the midst of an incredible duel for honors as the best pitcher in baseball this year, and this game provides another strong argument in favor of the South Siders' lefty ace. No other pitcher in baseball has tossed three complete games, and only Kershaw has narrowly bettered Sale's 68.1 innings pitched and 0.72 WHIP (70 and 0.70, respectively). His nine wins in nine starts give him a two-victory lead over the second-place tie between Arrieta and Stephen Strasburg, and it's well worth noting that the 25-16 White Sox have only been a .500 team when Sale's not on the mound.