White Sox (15-6) clobber Jays; Sale improves to 5-0

TORONTO — This winning thing.

Fifteen and six. Hoo-ha!

That losing thing? Three straight years was enough for Chris Sale, who continues to gobble up 2016 wins like a hungry wolf. The White Sox’ ace left-hander breezed through the Toronto Blue Jays in a 10-1 victory Tuesday, the fifth win in a row and seventh in eight games for the Sox (15-6), who are boasting the best record in the American League.

Sale improved to 5-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.66 with eight crisp innings of one-run ball ball. He struck out six and allowed just four hits including a long but harmless solo homer to Edwin Encarnacion in the seventh inning that made it 7-1.

The Sox, who’ve built their glossy record on great pitching, good defense and timely hitting, are showing small signs of ramping up the offense, too. Banging out 15 hits and topping 10 for a second consecutive night — a first this season — they got home runs from Avisail Garcia, former Jay Dioner Navarro and Adam Eaton and a bases loaded, two-run double by Austin Jackson. Garcia, the slumping designated hitter, had his second consecutive multi-hit game, was on base three times, scored three runs and drove in two.

While the additions of Todd Frazier, Brett Lawrie, Jimmy Rollins, Jackson and Mat Latos, to name a few, are largely responsible for the turnaround, Sale, Jose Quintana and Eaton (two losing seasons) were part of the key core already in place.

“Yeah, they’ve been through the wringer,’’ manager Robin Ventura said of the holdovers. “When they can sense a change of that wave going the other way, I want them to grasp onto it. I want them to hold that thing tight.’’

The new blood includes veterans who have won and know what it takes.

“We got a lot of new guys that haven’t been a part of [the losing],’’ Sale said. “It’s not in their minds, which is good. The guys who have been here are hungry for it. We want to win. Every day we come in, collectively, and it’s not about this. It’s not about that. It’s about winning. That’s the bottom line. Nothing else matters. It doesn’t matter what he’s hitting, or what this guy’s ERA is. When we win, we’re good.’’

Sale, pitching on five days rest, was more than good against the Jays (10-12). He has won all his starts, and has done it with less reliance on the strikeout pitch. He set the franchise record for Ks last season but is aiming to go deeper in games with fewer pitches this year.

“He has a chance to throw a no-hitter every night. He has that type of stuff,’’ Eato said. “I definitely think his mentality has changed this year and that has to do with the catching. [With] Navarro and Alex [Avila], he seems not to get mad as much. He stays on task.’’

“We’re also playing a better brand of baseball [behind him],’’ Ventura said. “He’s doing his thing but he doesn’t feel like he has to do everything. When you get offense like this and the way he’s pitching it’s a good combination. He’s more mature understanding it’s not about striking everybody out.’’

The Sox scored six or more runs for the first time and are nine games over .500 since 2012, Ventura’s first season. Ventura liked everything about this win, including Jose Abreu hitting the ball to the right side to advance a runner late in a blowout game.

“That’s more of an indication of how they feel about each other rather than being selfish,’’ Ventura said.

For pitchers like Sale, “the biggest change, going out there, is a subconscious thing with everybody — you feel like you’re just going to win games. When you don’t feel like you have to do everything yourself it’s a powerful thing. He’s harnessing that.’’