Christopher Sale: Everything you need to know

Sale (8-3) earned the win over Boston on Thursday, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out eight batters over five innings. Sale labored a bit more than usual, needing 96 pitches to get through five frames. The left-hander had a stretch of seven straight quality starts snapped, but he was still able to pick up his eighth win of the season, tied for second-most in MLB. Sale has had one poor start -- against the Angels on April 6, he gave up six runs over four innings -- but he's allowed two or fewer earned runs in his other 10 appearances. Overall, he's posting ace-like numbers, recording a 2.01 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 80:17 K:BB through 67 frames.

Sale (7-3) earned the win Wednesday against Miami, allowing one run on four hits and no walks in seven innings. He struck out eight. The All-Star southpaw found himself in peak form again Wednesday, generating 18 whiffs en route to fanning at least seven in his sixth consecutive start. Remarkably, Sale has now spun at least six frames while yielding one earned run or zero in eight of his 10 outings on the year as well. He'll take a career-best 1.89 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 72:14 K:BB over 62 innings into his next appearance, which tentatively lines up to come in Boston against the Red Sox.

Sale (6-3) took the loss against the Cubs on Thursday, allowing an unearned run on five hits and two walks while striking out eight batters over six innings. Sale was excellent Thursday, with the only run against him coming as the result of an error in a hitless sixth inning. However, Atlanta's offense was shut down by five Chicago pitchers, so that unearned run was enough to tag Sale with his second straight defeat. Despite the loss, Sale lowered his ERA to a sterling 1.96, which ranks ninth in MLB among qualified starters. The veteran lefty has complemented that excellent mark with a 0.91 WHIP (seventh-best) and 64 strikeouts (tied for fifth-most) over 55 innings spanning nine starts.