Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale nearly matched a single-game franchise record in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs, falling just one strikeout shy of the 16 recorded by Jack Harshman on July 25, 1954 against the Boston Red Sox, per ESPN Stats & Info.
In addition to matching his own personal best with 15 strikeouts, Sale allowed just one hit and two walks over seven scoreless innings, putting an end to the Cubs' winning streak at nine games.
He finished the impressive outing with an MLB-best 208 strikeouts for the season, thus becoming the first White Sox pitcher since Hall of Famer Ed Walsh (1910-12) to record 200 or more strikeouts in three consecutive years, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Sale also became the fifth pitcher to record 15 strikeouts in a game this year, making 2015 the first season since 1998 in which five or more pitchers put up such a performance, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Now on pace for 293 strikeouts, the 26-year-old southpaw has a real shot to become the first pitcher since Randy Johnson in 2002 to record 300 or more strikeouts in a single season.
But despite the dominant strikeout numbers, Sale doesn't appear to be the favorite for AL Cy Young honors, as his 3.32 ERA ranks just 12th in the Junior Circuit among all qualified starters.
Houston Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel, who started the All-Star Game, has arguably emerged as the favorite for the award, ranking third in the AL in ERA (2.36), second in WHIP (1.01) and tied for first in wins (14).
Keuchel also benefits from playing for a likely playoff team, whereas Sale's White Sox face an uphill battle just to stay in the wild-card race through September.
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