Chicago starter Chris Sale had to be close to perfect to come away a winner Sunday at home against the Indians. With Justin Masterson cruising, Sale suffered the tough-luck defeat.

Sale threw 123 pitches over eight innings. He clearly recorded a quality start as he allowed just three earned runs and seven hits with one walk. He even struck out 10 batters. In the end, however, the White Sox just couldn't put up any runs for him.

Sale's record falls to 5-7 with a solid 2.79 ERA. The 24-year-old has clearly been better than his record would suggest. He's lost his last five consecutive decisions and hasn't won since May 17 despite continuously pitching well.

Despite the record, Sale has 114 strikeouts over 106 1/3 innings and is in the top 10 in the American League at mowing down batters. He's also among the best in innings and will look to earn that elusive victory when he next starts Saturday at Tampa Bay.