Chris Sale was named to the American League All-Star squad for a fifth straight year on Tuesday night.
The White Sox pitcher was named his team’s only representative to the exhibition game, which is set for July 12 in San Diego.
Sale is 14-2 with a 2.93 ERA in 17 starts this season. He leads the American League with 120 innings pitched, three complete games and a 0.983 WHIP.
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The left-hander made his first All-Star team appearance in 2012 when he went on to win a career-high 17 games for the White Sox. He has finished in the top six in voting for the AL Cy Young award in each of the previous four seasons.
“That’s extremely hard,” manager Robin Ventura said of Sale’s five consecutive All-Star seasons. “Everybody seems to have the one year off where you’re not quite as sharp or you’re not as good. But I think even after all the questions (about) his durability, I think that goes along with it, just how much he’s improved not only pitching-wise, but physically, just to be able to withstand that.”
While no other White Sox earned a nod, the team could have a representative in the Home Run Derby in third baseman Todd Frazier, who has blasted 23 homers this season. The 2015 Derby champion, Frazier has made no secret about his desire to defend his title over the weekend. Asked if he’d heard about participating in Monday’s home-run hitting contest, Frazier said he had, but couldn’t comment.