CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs were rolling. Then they ran into Chris Sale.
The Cubs managed just three hits and struck out 18 times in a 3-1 loss to Sale and the crosstown White Sox on Sunday. The North Siders had won nine in a row and 15 of 16.
Jose Abreu, Melky Cabrera and Alexei Ramirez hit home runs for the White Sox, who had lost 10 of 15. Abreu, Cabrera and Carlos Sanchez had two hits apiece.
Sale (11-7) matched a career high with 15 strikeouts while pitching seven scoreless innings. The lanky left-hander allowed one hit -- Dexter Fowler's one-out single in the sixth -- and walked two.
"He made us look silly. But that's what he does," Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said.
It was Sale's 11th game of the year with 10 or more strikeouts and ran his total for the season to a major league-best 208 Ks. He is 2-0 with a sparkling 0.64 ERA in two starts against the Cubs this year.
"I always enjoy playing the Cubs," Sale said. "The atmosphere alone, this was probably the best atmosphere I've ever pitched in, honestly."
The Cubs were trying for their first 10-plus games winning streak streak since they won 12 in a row in 2001. Dan Haren (8-8) allowed the three home runs in his 4 2/3 innings.
The Cubs loaded the bases in the sixth, but Sale struck out Jorge Soler looking to end the inning.
"That moment where Soler struck out really had a playoff moment attached to it," Cubs Manager Joe Maddon said. "It was just all about the crowd, the moment, the bases loaded, everybody was going nuts. It was outstanding."
And that's good practice for what he hopes the Cubs will experience this fall.
"All those moments are going to contribute to our guys doing really well when it gets into September and getting eventually to October," Maddon said.
David Robertson allowed Soler's two-out homer in the ninth before finishing for his 24th save in 30 chances. Addison Russell reached on an infield hit after a replay challenge overturned the call on the field, but Starlin Castro grounded out to end the game.
Abreu hit his 22nd home run in the third. Ramirez connected in the fourth, and Cabrera added his eighth home run in the fifth on a hot day. It was 94 degrees at first pitch.
"This is what I grew up playing baseball in," said Sale, who is from Lakeland, Florida. "I felt comfortable. You get a little sweat going and you stay loose."
Haren, who was acquired in a July 31 trade with Miami, has allowed 27 home runs this season. He was struck in the right foot by a hard Sanchez grounder in the second. After throwing a few warmup pitches, Haren stayed in the game and got two popouts.
Cubs rookie Kris Bryant went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, ending his 12-game hitting streak. Russell, another rookie, was 1 for 4 with two strikeouts.
"It's good to see what it's like, it's good to see that A-plus pitching," Russell said.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
GIANTS 5, NATIONALS 0 Madison Bumgarner hit a home run and doubled, struck out 14 and pitched a three-hitter as host San Francisco handed Washington its sixth consecutive loss. Hunter Pence also had a home run as the playoff-contending Giants finished off a four-game sweep.
PIRATES 8, METS 1 Aramis Ramirez had four hits and three RBI, Pedro Alvarez hit a home run and visiting Pittsburgh finished off its first season series sweep of the NL East leaders. Alvarez, Ramirez and Gregory Polanco each had run-scoring hits in a breakaway four-run seventh, keyed by a throwing error from reliever Bobby Parnell (1-3).
DODGERS 2, REDS 1 Zack Greinke lowered his major league-best ERA to 1.58 with seven sharp innings and drove in the go-ahead run with his second home run of the season, leading the host Los Angeles Dodgers over Cincinnati. Greinke (13-2) allowed 1 run on 6 hits, struck out 8 and walked 1. The right-hander is 8-0 with a 1.16 ERA over his last 11 starts.
BRAVES 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1 (10) Shelby Miller took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, and host Atlanta went on to beat Arizona on Cameron Maybin's home run in the 10th. Miller, an NL All-Star last month and among the league leaders in ERA, wound up with his 16th consecutive winless start.
MARLINS 6, CARDINALS 4 Derek Dietrich drove in three runs, Dee Gordon had three hits and visiting Miami broke a six-game losing streak against St. Louis. Adeiny Hechavarria had two hits and scored two runs as Miami won for the fourth time in six games.
BREWERS 6, PHILLIES 1 Ryan Braun hit a grand slam to tie Robin Yount's franchise home run mark and host Milwaukee swept the season series from Philadelphia. Braun finished with five RBI. His 251st career homer came in the fifth when he hit a home run off the scoreboard girder in left-center field.
ROCKIES 4, PADRES 0 Chris Rusin pitched a five-hitter for his first career complete game, Carlos Gonzalez hit a home run and host Colorado beat San Diego to snap a six-game losing streak. It was the first complete game by a Rockies pitcher since Tyler Matzek blanked the Padres last Sept. 5.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ASTROS 6, TIGERS 5 Jose Altuve hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning and AL West-leading Houston, boosted by two home runs from Colby Rasmus, beat visiting Detroit. Miguel Cabrera hit a home run, doubled and drove in three runs for the Tigers.
ORIOLES 18, ATHLETICS 2 Adam Jones hit two home runs, Gerardo Parra had five of Baltimore's 26 hits, and the host Orioles breezed past Oakland. Four days after Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma pitched a no-hitter against them, the Orioles tied a team record for hits.
BLUE JAYS 3, YANKEES 1 Jose Bautista hit a two-run home run, Drew Hutchison won his third consecutive start and host Toronto avoided a three-game sweep by beating the New York Yankees. The Blue Jays and the division-leading Yankees, separated by a half-game atop the AL East, meet seven more times this season.
MARINERS 10, RED SOX 8 (12) Robinson Cano had five hits, Nelson Cruz connected for his majors-leading 36th home run and visiting Seattle blew a big lead before edging Boston. Franklin Gutierrez hit two home runs for Seattle, which led 7-0.
RANGERS 5, RAYS 3 Adrian Beltre and Ryan Strausborger hit solo home runs to spoil former Arkansas Razorback Drew Smyly's return, and host Texas beat Tampa Bay. Smyly (0-2) allowed five runs in four innings. He made his first start since going on the disabled list with a torn labrum in his shoulder in May.
TWINS 4, INDIANS 1 Tommy Milone returned from the disabled list and pitched five innings, Kurt Suzuki had two key RBI and host Minnesota defeated Cleveland. Trevor Plouffe hit his 17th home run for the Twins.
Sports on 08/17/2015