Boston Red Sox: Chris Sale reaches strikeout milestone in loss to Yankees

Chris Sale continued his dominant ways on the mound, but one mistake amounted for a Boston Red Sox 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees. 

Tyler Austin who?  That is exactly what Boston Red Sox were saying when the Yankees rookie outfielder smashed a three-run homer off Chris Sale in the second inning of Saturday night’s 4-3 loss at Fenway.

As unlikely as the homer was, it was just as shocking to see Sale make a mistake that early in the game, especially to the American League East rivals.  The second-inning blast helped catapult the Yankees to a very important win as a loss would’ve sank the Yankees even further behind the Red Sox in the AL East race.

In a game many would’ve chalked up as a win for the Sox, considering who was on the mound, Sale acknowledged bad pitches as the catalyst.

Along with Austin’s three-run homer, he also gave up a solo blast to Todd Frazier that ultimately became the game winner.

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"“Those are just bad pitches,” Sale said following the game, via MLB.com.  “Got bit by the homer bug again.  Anytime I give up two homers in a game, it’s not going to work out.  Solo shots not that big of a deal, but then guys get on base, I’ve got to be better than that.”"

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Still, Chris Sale was solid in the game.  In a losing effort, he still managed to reach a strikeout milestone.  With recording nine strikeouts in the game, the Boston Red Sox ace became just the third pitcher in MLB history to record 250 strikeouts in his first 25 starts of the season.

The feat puts him in the company of Randy Johnson and Red Sox great Pedro Martinez.

Although Sale would trade the milestone for a victory, the accomplishment shows just how dominant the lefty has been this season.

In fact, Martinez is pulling to for Sale to move ahead of him in accomplishing the team’s single-season strikeout record of 313 set in 1999.

"“You know, I was always a guy that was searching for greatness or the biggest and toughest challenges, and for him it’s no exception,” Martinez told reporters following a charity baseball game on Thursday, via WEEI. “I think this is the guy that, if anybody’s going to do it, on any era — let me clarify that, in any era — it’s Chris Sale. Chris Sale is suited to do anything against anybody in any era.”"

Sale is certainly suited to dominate in the same fashion as Martinez.  Whether the two can be compared is up for debate, be we do know Chris Sale is a special talent to have on the mound.

Next: Chris Sale’s historic night puts him on pace to break more records

One the team needs now that the outlook for David Price doesn’t look bright.