Chris Sale becomes 1st pitcher with 12 strikeouts in 4 straight games since 2001

Chris Sale is racking up strikeouts at an alarming rate.

The Chicago White Sox left-hander struck out 12 Tampa Bay Rays batters Sunday to record his fifth straight double-digit strikeout game. Sale is also the first hurler to whiff at least 12 in four straight games since Pedro Martinez in 2001.

Sale was pitching with a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, but served up a two-run homer to Asdrubal Cabrera, which proved to be the difference in a 2-1 loss. His final line: 6 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 12 K, 125 pitches.

"It was phenomenal watching him pitch today," Chicago bench coach Mark Parent told reporters after the game. "It was awesome. The loss is a letdown, but the letdown is really not getting him some runs."

Sale is the ninth pitcher all time to fire five consecutive games with double-digit strikeouts, and will look to continue his mastery of big-league hitters in his next scheduled start Friday when the White Sox host the Texas Rangers.