Chris Sale heading to All-Star Game for fourth time

The White Sox might be having a disappointing season, but at least they're spared the indignity of a charitable representative in the Midsummer Classic. Their All-Star is an actual star.

Right before he's scheduled to take a shot at MLB strikeout history, it became official: Sale is heading to his fourth All-Star Game.

Sale doesn't have the league's gaudiest record or ERA, but he's stolen the headlines over the last month-plus. He's struck out 10 batters or more in eight consecutive starts, tying Pedro Martinez for the longest such streak in MLB history. He'll try to take it to the Blue Jays for No. 9 shortly.

Likewise, Sale currently owns a share of the American League lead in strikeouts with 141. However, while Chris Archer and Corey Kluber are tied with Sale atop that leaderboard, Sale has made 15 starts this year. Archer has three more outings to his name, and Kluber two.

The Condor's dominance is more apparent when looking at strikeouts per nine innings:

1. Sale, 12.28
2. Archer, 10.97
3. Kluber, 10.80

With his fourth All-Star berth, Sale ties Mark Buehrle (his opponent tonight) for the second-most All-Star years by a White Sox pitcher. Billy Pierce is first with seven, and while Early Wynn has five appearances for the White Sox, it was only in three years (Major League Baseball played two All-Star Games in 1959 and 1960).