The Chicago White Sox suffered another defeat on Monday, losing 5-1 to the Oakland A’s. This marks their 21st consecutive loss, tying the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the longest losing streak in American League history, told AP News.
With two more consecutive losses, the White Sox could tie the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies for the longest losing streak in MLB history at 23 games. They have two games against the A’s to avoid this unfortunate milestone.
Currently, the A’s are the second-worst team in the AL, ahead of the White Sox, offering Chicago a decent chance to halt their streak. The White Sox are now 0-17 since the All-Star Break, with four of their previous five series against playoff contenders: the Kansas City Royals (twice), Seattle Mariners, and Minnesota Twins.
The A’s, with a 47-67 record, are not in postseason contention. However, they are better positioned than the White Sox, who sit at 27-88 (.235). This dismal performance has them competing with the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics (36-117, .235) for the worst record in the modern era of MLB, which began in 1901.
Last week, the White Sox broke their franchise record for consecutive losses with their 16th straight defeat, a 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Since then, they’ve added five more losses to this streak, showing no signs of improvement.
Monday’s game started poorly for the White Sox and only worsened. Chicago starter Ky Bush issued three walks in the first inning, loading the bases. This was followed by a sacrifice fly by Tyler Nevin, giving the A’s a 1-0 lead.
Despite limiting the first-inning damage to one run, the White Sox tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning with an RBI single from outfielder Andrew Benintendi. However, this was the only run they would score. The A’s responded with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth and added single runs in both the sixth and eighth innings, securing their victory.
This season has been particularly challenging for the White Sox, as this is not their first prolonged losing streak. They previously set a single-season franchise record with their 14th consecutive loss on June 7. Now, they face the daunting task of ending this streak and salvaging some dignity as the season progresses.