White Sox extend franchise-record losing streak to 20, longest in MLB since 1988

The Minnesota Twins defeated the White Sox 13-7 on Sunday, extending Chicago’s franchise-record losing streak to 20 games, one shy of the American League record.

Chicago’s streak is the longest in MLB in 36 years, dating back to the 1988 Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles started 0-21, marking the longest losing streak in AL history.

A loss by the White Sox on Monday would tie those Orioles. The White Sox are three straight losses shy of tying the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies, who hold the NL record with 23 straight losses.

The White Sox play their next three games against the 46-67 (.407) Oakland A’s, the second-worst team in the AL by a wide margin. The worst team, of course, is the White Sox, whose 27-87 (.237) record puts them 41.5 games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. The next-worst team in the AL Central is the fourth-place Detroit Tigers (53-60), who are 26.5 games ahead of the White Sox.

The White Sox initially broke a franchise record for consecutive losses last week with their 16th straight loss in a 4-3 defeat to the Kansas City Royals. Sunday’s loss to the Twins wasn’t as close. Minnesota scored two runs in the first inning and left the second with an 8-0 lead.

The White Sox scored five unanswered runs in the seventh inning to cut their deficit to 8-5. But the Twins added two more runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to ensure that Chicago’s hopes of ending their losing streak were short-lived.

Willi Castro went 3 for 5 at the plate for the Twins with one run and three RBI. Royce Lewis was 2 for 4 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored. Nine different Twins players had hits, while six reached base on walks.

Five different White Sox pitchers took the mound Sunday, three of whom allowed multiple earned runs. Starter Chris Flexen bore the brunt of the losses, allowing seven hits, eight runs (six earned), one home run and three walks while striking out three in 1 2/3 innings.

The losing streak is the second notable one for these White Sox, who previously set a franchise single-season record with their 14th straight loss in June. That record has now been surpassed six times and still stands, as the White Sox threaten to add their own ignominious entries into the AL and MLB record books. They can only hope that a three-game series against the AL’s second-worst team is the cure for what ails them.