There’s something about being on the verge of setting an infamous record (like most losses in a major league season) that can strengthen a team’s resolve. Even a terrible one like the Chicago White Sox.
Since tying the 1962 New York Mets with 120 losses, the White Sox have been unbeatable. They won their third straight game on Thursday, defeating the Los Angeles Angels 7-0.
No, smartass, that’s not the White Sox’s longest winning streak of the season. But it is the fourth time this year that they have achieved so many victories together. Chicago won four straight games from May 8-11, beating the Tampa Bay Rays on the road before winning three in a row over the Cleveland Guardians at home.
(The 2003 Detroit Tigers, after losing their 119th game of the season, won their last two to avoid infamy.)
White Sox fans hoping to see their team set the MLB’s all-time losing record lost their last chance to do so at Guaranteed Rate Field. Chicago ends its season with a three-game series in Detroit. With the way the Tigers are playing (winning eight of their last 10 and going 16-6 in September and an American League wild card in their hands), the White Sox will suffer that record loss this weekend.
(Detroit is a 4.5-hour drive from Chicago, however, so fans can take a trip to see the White Sox make history.)
Chicago opened the game in the fifth inning with two-run singles from Andrew Vaughn and Lenyn Sosa, followed by RBI hits from Bryan Ramos, Zach DeLoach and Dominic Fletcher to build a seven-run lead. Vaughn, the White Sox’s best hitter this year, went 3-for-4 and leads the lineup with 67 RBIs.
Starting pitcher Chris Flexen easily made that lead hold, throwing 6 1/3 scoreless innings and allowing five hits with seven strikeouts. That effort, along with generous race support, earned the seven-year veteran his third victory of the season.
With their loss, the Angels set a franchise record for most losses in a season with number 96. Members of the 1968 and 1990 Angels can have some champagne because they no longer have the burden of being the standard bearer of ineptitude. of the team.
Tyler Anderson was tagged for five runs (four earned) and four hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings to take the loss.
The Angels have lost 11 of their last 14 games. If it weren’t for the White Sox, they would be the worst team in the American League. However, a historically bad Chicago team still has 23 more losses on its record this season.