Former La Crosse Loggers pitcher Chris Sale, at 35, wins triple crown

Former La Crosse Loggers pitcher Chris Sale, at 35 years old, is the National League’s triple crown winner.

The Atlanta Braves ace led the NL in wins — going 18-3 — ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (225).

Sale pitched for the Loggers in the summer of 2008. At 20 years old, Sale struck out 74 in 53 innings with La Crosse.

Winning the triple crown could propel Sale to getting his first-ever Cy Young award.

The 14-year MLB vet finished in the Top 6 in AL Cy Young voting from 2012-18, including second in voting in 2017. No pitcher has ever taken the triple crown and not won the Cy Young.

Sale’s 225 strikeouts are the sixth most of his career. He struck out 308 in 2017, the years he and another former Loggers pitcher, Max Scherzer, started the MLB all-star game in back-to-back seasons for their respective leagues.

The 2.38 ERA is the third-best of Sale’s career as a starter. Again, in that 2017, his ERA was a ridiculous 2.11.

Oddly enough, Sale set a career high for wins this season, eclipsing that 2017 year, when he was 17-8. 

That year, Sale’s Boston Red Sox lost 3-1 in the ALDS to the Houston Astros, who cheated their way to a World Series title. Sale took losses in both Game 1 and Game 4.

This season, Sale may not even get to pitch in the playoffs, unless the Braves can win a series. Sale was scratched Tuesday from his start with Atlanta’s season-finale due to back spasms and he will miss the wild card round.