There’s something about nearly setting an infamous record — like most losses in a Major League Baseball season — that can strengthen a team’s resolve. Even a terrible one like the Chicago White Sox.
Ever since the 1962 New York Mets tied with 120 losses, the White Sox have been unbeatable. They won their third straight game on Thursday, beating the Los Angeles Angels 7-0.
No, smarty-pants, that’s not the longest winning streak of the season for the White Sox. But it is the fourth time this year that they have stringed together so many victories. Chicago won four straight games from May 8-11, beating the Tampa Bay Rays on the road before taking three straight from 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 their team would set the all-time MLB record for losses missed their final chance to do so at Guaranteed Rate Field. Chicago ends the season with a three-game series at Detroit. With the way the Tigers are playing — winning eight of their last 10 and going 16-6 in September and an AL wild-card playoff bid in their grasp — the White Sox will get that record-breaking loss this weekend.
(Detroit is a 4.5-hour drive from Chicago, though, so fans can make a side trip to see the White Sox make history.)
Chicago broke the game open 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, building a seven-run lead. Vaughn, the White Sox’ best hitter this year, went 3-for-4 and leads the lineup with 67 RBI.
Starting pitcher Chris Flexen easily maintained that lead, throwing 6 1/3 scoreless innings and allowing five hits with seven strikeouts. That effort, along with generous support, gave the seven-year veteran his third win of the season.
With their defeat, the Angels set a franchise record for most losses in a season with their 96th. Members of the 1968 and 1990 Angels can pass out some champagne because they no longer have the burden of being the standard bearer for the team’s incompetence.
Tyler Anderson was hit 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. Without the White Sox, they would be the worst team in the American League. Yet a historically bad Chicago team still has 23 losses on their record this season.
