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CHICAGO -- At least one Chicago White Sox decision for 2014 already has been made.

Manager Robin Ventura said the Opening Day starter next year will be Chris Sale. Outside of that, Ventura acknowledged that any and all changes could be made from a club that nearly lost 100 games for the first time in 43 years.

“There's a fair chance of anything,” Ventura said.

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CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox’s staff ace finished the season with a losing record, not that anybody will hold that against him.

Chris Sale showed across-the-board improvement in 2013, and even if his final start of the season Friday was far from his best effort, manager Robin Ventura wasn’t going to change his opinion about his best pitcher.

“His starts put him up there with the elite pitchers in the game and we realize what we have and how young he is,” Ventura said. “We’re fortunate to have him and you want to make sure he stays healthy and continues to get better.”

Sale won’t make too much out of his final outing, in which he gave up four runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals. Likewise, he doesn’t want to make too much of some impressive numbers this year that included personal bests in innings (214 1/3) and strikeouts (226), while walking just 46.

“Those are all things to build off of, I guess you can say, and to strive for in the future,” Sale said. “Not only to reach that, but to surpass those [numbers] as well. You can strike out as many people as you want, but you have to win some games. That’s something else I’m waiting for next year.”

Sale closed the season with an 11-14 record, but his 3.07 ERA was more indicative of what kind of a season it was. His internal numbers are impressive enough for him to even get some Cy Young recognition among American League voters, although he isn’t expected to win the award.

With questions at the start of the season as to whether or not Sale could back up his impressive debut as a starter in 2012, his year solidified him as the player around whom the White Sox are comfortable remodeling the roster.

“Last year velocity was way down toward the end of the year and this year he has learned how to go through a season,” Ventura said. “He was better at that. He’s going to get better as a pitcher and mature and do all those things. But once you go through a full season and mature, this year I think he learned that.”

Sale said that indeed, he was more successful at maintaining his strength over 30 starts. He made 29 starts (30 appearances) last season.

“Yeah, I mean I felt strong throughout the whole year,” he said. “I don’t know how many starts I had. I don’t know if I made as many or more than last year but I was happy to be able to be out there and not have to be quite as on a leash as I was last year. Just go out there and be another pitcher.”

If there is an area where improvement is needed, it could be handling his frustration. In the heart of the season when the offense was unable to support Sale with runs, the slightest mistake would make the lefty visibly frustrated. His outings tended to suffer as a result.

“We weren’t scoring runs for him and he felt like if he gave up one run I think sometimes, his mannerisms, he felt like he had already lost the game,” Ventura said. “At times I don’t blame him for that either because that’s what happened. You have to guard against overthrowing and feeling like you have to strike everybody out to win the game.”

Perhaps the real frustration stemmed from the fact that Sale knew the true goal was slipping away at a very early stage.

“You play this game for one reason, and that’s to win a championship,” he said. “No matter what you do individually, you still strive for that championship and not being able to get there is tough. But you always have next year.”

CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox fell 6-1 to the Kansas City Royals on Friday, their 22nd loss in their past 28 games.

How it happened: The Royals scored three runs in the first inning off White Sox ace Chris Sale and never looked back. The White Sox scored their lone run in the sixth inning on a solo home run from Gordon Beckham, his fifth. Sale gave up four runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings.

What it means: The White Sox still need to win one of the past two games against the Royals to avoid their first 100-loss season since 1970. The defeat guarantees the White Sox will lose at least 98 games, assuring them the fifth-most losses in franchise history. One more defeat and the White Sox will tie the 1934 team with 99 losses. The 1948 team lost 101 games, the 1932 team lost 102 and the 1970 club dropped 106.

Outside the box: Sale finished the best season of his young career with a 3.07 ERA after starting the night with a 2.97 mark. His 11-14 record was nowhere indicative of how well he pitched. The left-hander went 214 1/3 innings this season with 226 strikeouts and 46 walks. His strikeouts total improved by 34 over last season, while he walked five fewer batters. He ended 2012 with a 3.05 ERA.

Offbeat: Perhaps the White Sox had some extra fireworks to explode before the end of the season, because they put on a display in the sixth inning. Alexei Ramirez hit a drive to deep left field that sent Royals outfielder Alex Gordon climbing the outfield fence. Realizing the ball wouldn’t travel that far, Gordon dropped from the fence while catching the ball. It all looked so deceiving that the home run fireworks show started, with Ramirez making it almost to third base in his home run trot before realizing what happened.

Up next: The White Sox will send right-hander Erik Johnson (2-2, 2,82) to the mound on Saturday for his last outing of the season. The Royals will counter with right-hander Yordano Ventura (0-0, 1.59) in the 6:10 p.m. start from U.S. Cellular Field.

CHICAGO –- There was no sugar-coating things Friday as Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn addressed the disappointing 2013 season in advance of Sunday’s final game.

The White Sox headed into play Friday still needing one more victory to avoid their first 100-loss season since 1970, and Hahn took the blame for the mess the season has become.

“At the end of the day, I feel personally responsible,” Hahn said. “There's no two ways about it. I'm not in uniform. I'm not hitting the ball or throwing the ball, but I'm the one heavily involved in deciding who's out there and in what role. And this is my responsibility to maximize the number of victories this club can have, albeit over an extended period of time and not just in one season. But the way I see it, it's been a very disappointing season in which we've underachieved.”

It’s hardly that simple, of course. Changes will be made from a roster that underachieved in a number of areas, making this season’s woes more of a player production. But in his first season, Hahn’s roster, which had little to no margin for error, actually failed in more ways than anybody could have imagined.

The White Sox failed to score runs, they struggled in the on-base-percentage department, they were one of the worst teams in baseball defensively and they had issues running the bases. The White Sox were 10-15 after the opening month, and things would only get worse.

Asked if there is a problem area the White Sox will look to address above all others, Hahn avoided getting specific.

“Obviously, the run scoring going from fourth in the league to the bottom, and the on-base percentage plummeting, and the extra-base hitting also going to the bottom, is a real issue and a big one and one that we intend to address here in the coming weeks and months,” Hahn said.

“The defense, we obviously slipped considerably defensively. I did see the other day we've committed the most errors since 2000. ... But the offensive performance, the defensive consistency, as well as our ability to run the bases smarter are all real issues of concern, and the caliber of play that we've gotten in each of those areas this year is unacceptable and it's a priority for all of us to improve upon.”

Hahn did say that he expects manager Robin Ventura to return next season, and Ventura said himself that he is up for the challenge of trying to improve the team in the final year of his three-year contract. Beyond that, there seem to be no guarantees, although building the roster around staff ace Chris Sale seems obvious.

“"We have to get better, and we have to get better quickly,” Hahn said. “I feel like we're in a very good position from a pitching standpoint. Given the starting pitching that we already have under control, whatever turnaround or restoration or whatever you want to call it that needs to take place here, we hope to minimize the amount of time that takes.”

If there is one benefit to the disappointing season, it is that the front office has already gotten started on revamping the roster. Avisail Garcia was added in late June to help on the offensive side. Possible upgrades at catcher and/or third base could be coming as well.

When balancing fixed costs with revenue, Hahn said it is “conceivable” the White Sox could target an impact free agent with all of the salary savings the team afforded itself with trades in July and August. If Paul Konerko doesn’t return, or is re-signed for significantly less, there is even more money to work with.

“Is it possible that there will be enough ... to be a player in free agency? Absolutely,” Hahn said. “But we're going to shy away from any short-term fix. It's going to be getting this thing right so that on an annual basis, we're in a position to contend for the postseason. If a free agent this year fits -- a big name, high-priced free agent -- it's going to be with a vision for the next several years thereafter as well.”

This year, though, it was a lost baseball summer in Chicago, with extreme struggles on both sides of town.

“It's really unfortunate,” Hahn said. “I can't speak to anything going on on the other side of town. I simply focus on our own performance. Look, part of the reason I wanted this job was because summertime in Chicago and baseball in summertime in Chicago is important.

“Perhaps I have too lofty of a view of its importance in this town, but I look back at this past summer and see it a bit as a wasted summer, because there was an opportunity, in our opinion, to perform better than we have and we failed to meet that.”

CHICAGO -- The better Jose Quintana gets, the bigger the possibility he could end up on somebody else’s roster to start the 2014 season.

It’s not like the Chicago White Sox underestimate Quintana’s value. Far from it. The reality, though, is that the club is heavy on left-handed starters, and Quintana could ultimately prove to be the best trade chip to beef up another area of the roster.

The left-hander was at it again Tuesday night, finding the focus to deliver even as the season drifts off into oblivion. He gave up just one run over six innings while dropping his ERA to 3.49, the lowest it has been since the tail end of May.

“He just continues to battle and he just finds a way to get through innings,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “He always seems to make the tough pitch when he needs to. Fortunately, tonight he got a decision. That’s probably something that’s wearing on him a little bit and it hasn’t shown too much.”

Already saddled with a franchise-record 17 no-decisions, Quintana was able to walk away with a victory Tuesday, his first since Aug. 16, also against the Minnesota Twins.

The major league record for no decisions in a season is 20, set by Bert Blyleven in 1979; it’s a record Quintana won’t be able to match, since he is in line to make just two more starts before season's end.

Quintana was feeling so good after Tuesday’s contest he did his postgame interview in English, eschewing his normal translator.

“I feel great, I feel wonderful, because my team won tonight,” Quintana said. “Every time I have the opportunity for a win, I’m happy for that.”

Wins and losses are out of a pitcher's control, but the numbers are often seen as an indicator of what type of season it was. At 8-6, Quintana’s won-loss mark nowhere near explains what kind of season he has had.

“To me, [his demeanor] is his best thing going,” White Sox captain Paul Konerko said. “Everybody in here always talks about it. He’s just very composed during the game, after the game. You can’t really tell [the difference]. Rarely do you ever see him even change facial expression. He’s very poised. He trusts his stuff well.”

The 24-year-old hurler sounds every bit a keeper who could bring stability to the starting rotation moving into next season. But the rotation is being built around left-hander Chris Sale, while fellow lefty John Danks would be difficult to trade with another three years and $42 million remaining on his contract. There is another left-hander in Hector Santiago, but his value on the trade market can't match what Quintana offers.

Ventura knows just how valuable a quality young arm is to a ballclub, not to mention an affordable one.

“He figured it out really quick as far as him coming up last year as a spot starter, and it just seemed to click,” Ventura said. “I think that was something we noticed first, in [his first start in] Cleveland, that he has the competitiveness and the stuff to be able to do it and compete at this level.

“I think last year was very valuable in just keeping him here and going into this year,” he said. “You just seem like you're in games all the time when he's pitching. That's good for a team to have, especially the players going in, that when he's pitching you know you're going to be in that game. He just seems to bring that out.”

While trading a quality arm such as Quintana’s is a gamble, the White Sox aren’t expected to make such a move without getting high-level talent in return. Yet there is always the risk that by trading Quintana, they turn a strength (read: starting pitching) into a weakness.

Ultimately, the White Sox could come to the conclusion that even if they were offered a trade package to upgrade weaknesses, they could decide that keeping Quintana is the better move. Making sure it’s a rotation full of head-strong competitors figures to be a priority, as well.

“He’s been pretty steady as far as his personality and everything else that goes with having so many games without an immediate result for him,” Ventura said. “You can win or lose games, but when it’s not on your record it becomes something that he’s been able to deal with fairly well.

“He just goes about his business. He’s a mature kid. It’s one of the things about him, even last year, that we saw is he’s a competitor. He’s a tough kid. But he has maturity above his age.”

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago White Sox's 7-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Sunday:

How it happened: After a 4 hour, 23 minute rain delay, left-handed pitcher Chris Sale went to the mound in hopes of salvaging the last game of this four-game series. The Indians had Zach McAllister on the hill. Cleveland had won 11 straight against Chicago, one short of the Sox's all-time consecutive losing streak to one team (12 versus Boston in 1921). Matt Carson got the Indians on the board with an RBI single in the second inning, driving home Carlos Santana, who had singled to lead off the inning. Carson homered in the fifth inning, his first of the season. Nick Swisher led off the sixth with his 19th home run of the year. Asdrubal Cabrera continued the onslaught on Sale, hitting a three-run homer in the same inning. Sale left after 5 2/3 innings, as Cleveland sent 10 men to the plate. White Sox catcher Josh Phegley broke up the shutout with an RBI single in the seventh. Swisher contributed his second home run of the game in the ninth. He hit one from each side of the plate -- his 13th time doing so, tying the major league record with the New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira.

What it means: The Indians moved within a half game of the wild-card lead, behind Tampa and Texas. Sale took his 13th loss off the season, despite topping the 200 innings pitched mark for the first time in his career. Cleveland has dominated the season series between the two clubs, winning 15 of 17 this year.

Outside of the box: The White Sox offered every person who bought a ticket to Sunday's game a free ticket to selected dates in April 2014. Chicago has continued to be plagued by bad defense. The White Sox lead the majors with 112 errors. They have committed 10 miscues in their past seven games. … The South Siders will finish the season with a losing record against the American League Central. This will mark the fourth time in five seasons that they register a losing record in their division. … The Sox started the day 32 games under.500, their worst winning percentage since ending the 1976 campaign at 64-97. … Outfielder Avisail Garcia left the team on Sunday morning after his wife went into labor. Garcia was in the original lineup before the long rain delay.

Up next: The White Sox welcome the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series. RHP Erik Johnson (0-2, 4.56) faces Minnesota LHP Liam Hendricks (1-2, 5.25) in a battle of rookie pitchers.

CHICAGO -- With John Danks looking as if he has run out of gas and Jose Quintana and Hector Santiago near or beyond career highs in innings pitched for the Chicago White Sox, there is a chance somebody could get shut down before the season ends.

Danks, who missed a year of action after shoulder surgery in August 2012, would seem to be the prime candidate since his velocity is slightly down and his command hasn’t been sharp. But there could be value in building his innings moving toward next season. He is at the 131 1/3 mark after 21 starts.

As of now, Danks is penciled to start Wednesday in the Sox’s homestand finale against the Minnesota Twins.

“I think there’s a little bit of a debate there,” Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. “We could do that with pretty much all of [the starters] just because where we’re at in the season and looking forward to next year.”

Chris Sale is already at a career high 195 2/3 innings, while Quintana’s 179 2/3 is slightly behind his combined total of 185 last year. Santiago’s 142 2/3 innings is more than the combined 132 2/3 he had over three levels in 2011.

Then there is Andre Rienzo, who isn’t gaining traction at the major league level after a solid minor league season. He gave up five runs on seven hits over four innings to the Indians on Saturday and now has 50 major league innings to go along with the 113 he pitched at Charlotte. That combined total is a career high.

The White Sox are operating with a six-man starting staff, so shedding one pitcher is a possibility. The problem is that the starters who forge on will be pitching more frequently.

“We still have to have guys go out there and pitch,” Ventura said. “If it looks like it’s a better decision to keep a guy from throwing, we’ll probably do it.”

CHICAGO -- There is an unwritten rule in baseball that a manager should only air out his struggling team on the day his best pitcher is on the mound.

It gives his tirade the best chance of reaping rewards, of course.

And so it may have been with Chicago White Sox captain Paul Konerko, who brought up the American League Cy Young Award race Monday night at the best time to get his teammate some recognition.

White Sox left-hander Chris Sale had just delivered a dominating victory over the Tigers' Max Scherzer when Konerko summed up the night.

"It was nice to give [Sale] a win against a guy who will probably win the Cy Young," Konerko said after the White Sox prevented Scherzer from winning his 20th game of the season.

There are few more careful with their words, so it isn't out of the question that Konerko was merely trying to get the Cy Young conversation started at the best time to benefit Sale.

At first glance, Sale's 11-12 record doesn't hold a candle to Scherzer's 19-3 mark, but recent history (see Felix Hernandez's Cy Young Award season in 2010 with a 13-12 record) has shown that a won-loss mark can be ignored.

It's the internal numbers that tell the better story and Sale has more than a decent case for award recognition.

Sale's current 2.90 ERA is fourth best in the American League behind the Tigers' Anibal Sanchez (2.61),the Rangers' Yu Darvish (2.84) and the A's Bartolo Colon (2.85). Scherzer is seventh, tied with Hernandez at 3.01.

In strikeouts, Sale is third with 207, behind Scherzer (215) and Darvish (246). In WHIP, Scherzer leads the AL at 0.96, while Sale is second at 1.04. Diving even further, Sale has the best quality start percentage in the AL at 0.81, while his strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.05 is only bettered by the Rays' David Price (5.55). Sale’s WAR also leads the AL at 7.1, far ahead of Scherzer's second-place mark of 5.5.

"Chris is better than his record is," manager Robin Ventura said. "On the other side, people are taking shots at Max for a good record having runs scored [for him]. Max is a good pitcher regardless of how many runs they score for him."

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CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox team captain Paul Konerko takes special pride in beating the contenders this time of the season.

The 37-year-old first baseman drove in two runs in support of All-Star pitcher Chris Sale, who dominated against the defending American league champion Detroit Tigers. Sale allowed just one run in his seven innings of work.

“He is just one of those special guys on a short list out there,” Konerko said of Sale. “He is an ace, a tough kid who wants to be great, not just good.”

Konerko and his teammates have been embarrassed by one of the worst seasons in White Sox franchise history. That aside, he was pleased to help put some runs on the board for Sale, who has had the fourth-worst average run support in baseball this season (3.26 per game).

It was an excellent pitching matchup, with Max Scherer coming into the game at 19-2.

“It was good to get our guy a win,” Konerko said. “We have come up short for him a lot this year when he was throwing some great games. It was nice to give him a win against somebody that probably will win the Cy Young.”


The veteran Arizona native can become a free agent in November; however he has yet to announce if he will continue to play after his 16th season ends on Sept. 30.

“It has definitely not been fun,” Konerko said. “We have lost way more than we thought we were going to lose, that is for sure. You can get comfortable with that, and that is the part you have to watch out for.

“Guys in here have done a good job of coming in here and breaking it down to one day at a time. The idea is to forget about the record. We really have been pretty good at that, considering the circumstances of where it has gotten to. It could be worse. We still have guys working and doing it the right way.”

Konerko is no hypocrite when it comes to work ethic. He went to the batting cage for a 20-minute session with coaches after the Sox had defeated the Tigers 5-1 on Monday evening.

CHICAGO -- Chris Sale has done nothing this season to dispel the notion that he is a young starting pitcher worth building a team around.

Unlike a season ago, the 24-year-old left-hander is showing that he can be a dominating pitcher into September while crossing impressive milestones in the process.

During the Chicago White Sox’s victory Monday over the Detroit Tigers, his third in four starts against the Tigers this season, Sale crossed the 200-strikeout mark, becoming the quickest to do it in franchise history by innings pitched and appearances. Wilbur Wood and Gary Peters are the only other left-handers in franchise history to strike out 200 batters in a season.

Yet for all his impressive numbers, in a season that has been void of them across the team, finishing strong remains his biggest priority.

“I put a lot of emphasis on that,” Sale said. “That’s something that kind of bugged me last year. I was there for the first half to help this team and sputtered late and, as I said before, just kind of limped across the finish line. It’s something that [pitching coach Don Cooper] and I talked about since the offseason, even the last game of the season. It’s sprinting across the finish line this year trying to finish up strong.”

Beating the Cy Young Award favorite in September isn’t a bad thing to have on a resume either. The White Sox prevented Tigers starter Max Scherzer from winning his 20th game of the season, as the right-hander lasted just four innings for his shortest outing of the season. Sale improved to 11-12.

Sale said he normally doesn’t put any emphasis on the opposing starter, but he couldn’t deny it Monday.

“He’s an ace,” team captain Paul Konerko said of Sale. “He’s on a short list with a couple other guys out there.”

Scherzer might be headed toward Cy Young glory, but it’s Sale who actually has a lower ERA at 2.90 to 3.01. Sale is at 195 2/3 innings this season, while Scherzer has 194 1/3. The Tigers right-hander has 215 strikeouts to Sale’s 207.

“This is as well as I have seen him pitch this year as far as feeling at ease, throwing all of his pitches at any time,” Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Sale. “I think you can see his mannerisms on the mound, too. He doesn’t let his emotions get in the way.

“It was nice, also, to get him some runs. Just the way he’s pitched lately it’s just the progression of somebody going into the second year as a starter. With the stuff he has, he’s able to harness it and he looks great.”

And Sale also showed he can have a little fun out there. After Miguel Cabrera was ejected in the first inning for arguing with home-plate umpire Brian Gorman, Sale returned to the dugout and raised his arms in relief.

“Not taking anything away from [replacement Ramon] Santiago -- he’s a heck of a player, too -- but the best hitter to ever walk the planet is leaving after the first,” Sale said. “It doesn’t get any easier after that. You still have to make pitches and stuff because they have a heck of a lineup up and down. You just try to stay on the game plan and get through it.”

There has been plenty to potentially derail Sale this season, from early arm soreness to team struggles to the lack of run support. So far he has managed to fight through all of it.

So is Sale hoping for some Cy Young consideration, even after carrying a won-loss record under .500 into September?

“Nah, for me it’s one day at a time, one game at a time,” he said. “Whatever that stuff happens to be, it is. Don’t try to put too much emphasis on it. Just go out there and do everything I can to win that game.”

With at least three more starts available before the end of the season, Sale still feels like he has something to prove, even though the White Sox have nothing left to play for except pride.

“It’s nice to see that he’s making progressions like that,” Ventura said. “I think for his future and for our future, to see him with that kind of velocity late and being as sharp as he is going through a lineup like this, it’s something that is nice to see and a positive moving forward.”

CHICAGO -- After winning just once on a 10-game road trip, the Chicago White Sox opened a 10-game home stand Monday with a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

How it happened: Chris Sale dominated the Tigers, giving up just four hits over eight innings with eight strikeouts, all while improving to 11-12. Paul Konerko gave the White Sox an early lead with a two-run single, boosting his RBI total to 49. The Tigers scored their only run in the seventh inning on a Victor Martinez homer. Dayan Viciedo and Josh Phegley also added RBIs for the White Sox.

What it means: Sale reached the 200-strikeout plateau Monday, doing it faster than anybody in franchise history by innings pitched and appearances. After a frustrating season, when Sale wasn’t offered much run support, he’s still having a strong close to the season. Sale is now 5-1 with a 2.85 ERA over his past six outings. The White Sox have also averaged more than five runs per game for him over those six outings

Outside the box: It was the second matchup this season between the American League All-Star starter, Max Scherzer, and the AL’s winning pitcher in the game, Sale. After Scherzer won the first matchup on July 22, Sale got his revenge. Both pitchers gave up two runs over eight innings in the first meeting. Scherzer and Sale both entered the game ranked in the top five in the AL in ERA, strikeouts, opponents’ batting average, quality starts and strikeouts per nine innings.

Offbeat: Just three batters into the game, the Tigers lost their best hitter and their manager. Miguel Cabrera appeared to get hit in the right foot by a Sale pitch but wasn’t awarded first base by plate umpire Brian Gorman. Cabrera fouled off the next pitch and was ejected when he appeared to say something. Tigers manager Jim Leyland argued and was ejected, too.

Up next: White Sox right-hander Erik Johnson (0-1, 4.50 ERA) will make the second start of his career Tuesday. He will be opposed by Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello (11-8, 4.76) in the 7:10 p.m. CT start from U.S. Cellular Field.

CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale probably wasn’t shedding any tears after Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera was ejected in the first inning Monday.

Sale threw a pitch that appeared to hit Cabrera on the back foot, but home plate umpire Brian Gorman didn’t award him a base. After fouling off the next pitch, Cabrera appeared to say something that was met with a quick ejection from Gorman.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland came out to argue, and he was also ejected. It was the second time this season and fifth time in his career that Cabrera was tossed from a game. For Leyland, it was his fourth ejection this season and 72nd of his career.

Cabrera has a .222 batting average against Sale in 18 at-bats, but he still has been productive, with a .417 on-base percentage thanks to six walks and a .556 slugging percentage. Sale has been solid against the Tigers this season with a 2-1 record and a 2.66 ERA in three starts.

CHICAGO -– When it comes to channeling energy in an efficient direction, Chicago White Sox starter Chris Sale often has been a work in progress.

Consider Wednesday’s start against the Houston Astros another lesson learned.

One start after he was flustered by the Texas Rangers and ended his night with a glove-slamming outburst in the dugout, the staff's ace made sure he had the proper frame of mind.

Of course things were much simpler, since he was facing the lowly Astros instead of the first-place Rangers, but he seemed to have a different focus about him from the outset.

Sale struck out the side in the first inning and went on to fan 12 Astros in a 6-1 White Sox victory, the team’s 10th in its last 12 games. The White Sox also won their fifth consecutive series after suffering through a 10-game losing streak that ended at the start of the month.

“Any time you lose, and quite honestly get embarrassed, you always want to get back out on the right foot and help your team,” Sale said.

The left-hander took the mound for the ninth inning with a chance for his fifth complete game, but when he walked leadoff hitter L.J. Hoes, Ventura replaced his starter with reliever Matt Lindstrom.

“You always want to work efficiently and get as deep into games as you can,” Sale said. “I would have loved to have closed out that one tonight but it just didn’t work out. I was thankful for the opportunity to at least get the shot for it.”

When he walked off the field this time, it was all about handshakes and high-fives, instead of slamming his glove against the ledge above the team bench and taking his frustrations out on the water cooler.

It’s been a difficult season for Sale (10-12), who has had some of the worst run support in baseball all season. He has lost four times this season when pitching into the eighth inning while allowing three earned runs or less. The last White Sox pitcher to suffer a similar fate was Mark Buehrle, who had four such losses in 2002.

“There's been times he's let his emotions get him, but tonight, he didn’t let anything affect him as far as the score, or even giving up a home run,” Ventura said. “He just bounced right back and it was nice that we came back and scored another run after that.”

The offense has been terrible at scoring runs for Sale so it seemed fitting that it was a pair of new guys who reversed that trend. Leury Garcia stole a base and scored the go-ahead run on a shallow sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, while Avisail Garcia hit a three-run home run in the same inning. Both joined the White Sox roster this month.

“Honestly, the Garcia boys stole the show tonight,” Sale said. “What an unbelievable job they did tonight. A big homer and I think both of them were involved in every run scored, so hats off to them and they won it for us.”

Sale became the first White Sox pitcher to strike out 12 or more batters four times in a single season, breaking a tie with Javier Vazquez (2006) and Ed Walsh (1910). Sale also has 193 strikeouts this season, one more than the career best he set last year.

And while learning how to channel his energy has been big this season, learning what it takes to get through a full season at full strength should have benefits moving forward.

“I feel good, my arm feels loose, my body feels good,” Sale said. “Something [pitching coach Don Cooper] and I have talked about is last year I kind of limped across the finish line. This one he’s like, ‘Let’s sprint across at the end of the year.’ It’s something I’m working toward and trying to do.”

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox won their fifth consecutive series with a 6-1 victory Wednesday over the Houston Astros.

How it happened: Chris Sale struck out 12 and pitched into the ninth inning to earn his 10th victory of the season. Avisail Garcia hit his first home run as a member of the White Sox and drove in three. Leury Garcia, in the leadoff spot, walked twice, scored two runs and delivered a sacrifice fly for a run in the eighth. Jeff Keppinger, in his second turn as the No. 3 hitter, had two hits and drove in a run. The White Sox have now won 10 of their past 12 games, going 4-2 on the homestand after a 6-1 road trip.

What it means: If there is one thing Sale knows how to do, it's how to rebound from a disappointing outing. His 12 strikeouts Wednesday came after he gave up eight runs to the Rangers in his previous start. He also gave up eight runs on April 13 at Cleveland and returned to hold the Blue Jays to two earned runs one outing later. After giving up a season-high 10 hits on Aug. 1 to the Indians, he came back to hold the Yankees scoreless over 7 1/3 innings.

Outside the box: Sale hit two milestones by piling up strikeouts against the Astros. He now has 193 strikeouts on the season, a career best, passing last season's mark of 192. He also became the first White Sox pitcher to record four games with 12-plus strikeouts in a single season. He had been tied with Javier Vazquez (2006) and Ed Walsh (1910) with three each.

Off beat: It was the attack of the Garcias in the seventh inning as Leury walked and scored the go-ahead run, while Avisail hit a three-run home run for some cushion. After Leury Garcia's walk, the speedster stole second and went to third on an overthrow. He made it home on a fly ball to shallow center. Avisail Garcia's home run later in the inning was his first with the White Sox.

Up next: After an off day Thursday, the White Sox will open a three-game series at Boston on Friday with Hector Santiago (4-7, 3.25 ERA) facing the Red Sox's Ryan Dempster (6-9, 4.77).

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox rallied in the eighth inning to eclipse the Houston Astros and go on to a 4-3 victory.

How it happened: Jordan Danks' career-high third hit of the game plated the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth. The White Sox were hoping to solve the mystic of beating the worst team in baseball. Houston had defeated Chicago in four of the first five games between the two clubs this season. (The two teams played one of the ugliest games of the season Monday, angering both coaching staffs in a 10-8 decision in Houston’s favor.) On Tuesday, Sox starter Jose Quintana was coming off two solid outings (five earned runs in 13T innings). Both teams scored single runs in the fourth inning. Houston’s Matt Dominguez singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. Dominguez’s blooper double plated the first run off of Quintana. His teammate Chris Carter had an RBI single in the eighth.

What it means: The White Sox won for the ninth time in 11 games. Chicago had lost six of their past eight to Houston going back to 2012. Addison Reed recorded his 36th save of the season.

Outside the box: Shortstop Alexei Ramirez will get his first day off of the season on Wednesday. ... Leury Garcia will start at shortstop in place of Ramirez after getting his first start at second base on Tuesday. ... Chicago was a major league best 8-2 over their past 10 games entering play Tuesday evening.

Up next: Houston RHP Jarred Cosart (1-1,1.60) and White Sox LHP Chris Sale (9-12 ,3.08) pitch the finale of the three-game series in a 7:10 p.m. CT start Wednesday.