Sale goes for historic 9-0 start on MLB.TV

Last Friday, Chris Sale joined the exclusive company of two Cy Young Award winners in the record books.

Thursday, Sale will aim for a perfect 9-0 start — and a chance to own a piece of history all to himself.

Sale’s pursuit of perfection is one of the more intriguing storylines among the 11 games available on MLB.TV, but it certainly isn’t the only one. Jeff Samardzija will try to keep the Giants’ rotation rolling, two division leaders will duke it out in a series finale in Baltimore, and Jason Hammel aims to add yet another quality start to his ledger in Milwaukee.

Fans can catch all the action live on MLB.TV.

MLB.TV Premium returns with the same features as last year, but at $109.99, it is a full $20 cheaper than the 2015 cost. This package has the best value and provides access to more than 400 devices and a free subscription to the MLB.com At Bat Premium app (a $19.99 value). It offers the best picture quality ever — a new 60 frames per second — for supported devices. Monthly signups for MLB.TV Premium are now underway as well for $24.99.

The new MLB.TV Single Team package is also now available as an $84.99 yearly subscription. You can watch a single team’s live out-of-market games in full HD.

Here is a look at what to watch for today in the Majors (all times ET):

Chris sets Sale for record books: HOU@CWS, 8:10 p.m.

Last year, Sale etched his name alongside Pedro Martinez as the second pitcher to record 10 or more strikeouts in eight consecutive starts. Just more than six weeks into the 2016 campaign, Sale has matched Pedro again, joining Martinez (in 1997) and Fernando Valenzuela (1981) as the only pitchers to begin a season 8-0 with an ERA below 2.00.

Both Martinez and Valenzuela immediately lost their next start after beginning 8-0, but each of them also went to win the Cy Young later that year. Martinez allowed seven runs (though only two were earned) in a 7-0 Expos loss to the Mets on May 28, 1997, while Valenzuela allowed all four runs in the Dodgers’ 4-0 loss to Philadelphia on May 18, 1981. Sale, whose ERA sits at 1.67, needs just one more victory to potentially be the first pitcher to go 9-0 with a sub-2.00 ERA.

Amazingly, Sale is accomplishing all of this with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of just 8-to-1 in 2016, the lowest of his career.

“He can strike people out, but you’re seeing a more effective guy who can go deeper into games,” said White Sox manager Robin Ventura after Sale’s complete-game victory Friday over the Yankees. “The last couple of years he wouldn’t have been able to do this, finish off games.”

Sale boasts a 3-1 career record with a 0.56 ERA and an 11.75-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in four career starts against the Astros. He’ll be opposed by Houston start Collin McHugh, who took a no-decision last Saturday after allowing four runs and 10 hits to the Red Sox over six innings.

Stat that matters: Sale has allowed an opponents’ …

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