Tag / White Sox

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How Do You Lose 20 Games In A Row?

The White Sox fell 13-7 to the Twins this afternoon, pushing their franchise-record losing streak to 20 games.  They now own the longest losing streak of the Wild Card era and are one of only twelve teams, dating back to 1889, to lose 20 or more games in a row.  They are now just one game away from tying the American League record, set by the 1988 Orioles, and three from the modern record, owned by the 1961 Phillies. Their franchise record falls to just two games over .500.

The White Sox head to Oakland for the final time and will look once again to snap their losing streak tomorrow night against the A’s.  It has now been 25 days since the White Sox last won a game and Pedro Grifol, who is 88-188 in his managerial career, is somehow still employed.

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Stretching To 19

The White Sox extended their franchise-record losing streak to 19 games last night, losing to the Twins 6-2.  They are now tied for the 12th-longest losing streak in MLB history and have tied the 2005 Royals and the 2021 Orioles for the longest losing streak in the Wild Card era.  They are two games away from tying the American League record, set by the 1988 Orioles, and four from the modern record, owned by the 1961 Phillies.

The White Sox will look to snap their losing streak this afternoon by sending Chris Flexen to the mound.  They have lost Flexen’s previous 15 appearances, last winning a game he pitched on May 8th.  It has been 24 days since the White Sox last won a game and Pedro Grifol is still employed.

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18 And Life

April 10, 2023 was the last time the White Sox won a game at Target Field, going 0 for their last 9 against the Twins on the road.  So, as the White Sox returned to Minnesota last night, it seemed an inopportune place for them to try and break their 17-game losing streak.  They have now lost ten in a row and Target Field and have extended their franchise-worst losing streak to 18 games.

A loss tonight would tie the White Sox with the 2005 Royals and the 2021 Orioles for the longest losing streak of the Wild Card era and would leave them just five behind the 1961 Phillies for the longest losing streak since 1900.  Their season record is now 27-88.  Only nine teams in MLB history have had a worse stretch of baseball, none of which occurred during a single season.

And, in case you were wondering, Pedro Grifol is still employed.

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FB10: Week 27

The end of my week in Amsterdam led to an overall good week, though one that tailed off once I returned home.  The week got off to a slow start on Sunday, as I only left the apartment for a quick trip to the grocery store, which left me 35 steps shy of 3400.  Things picked up on Monday, my last full day in Amsterdam, as I bummed around the museum campus before dinner and a tour of the Red Light District, which pushed me up to 11,900 steps.  A trip to the airport on Tuesday got me to exactly 7000 steps.  One last day off for recovery on Wednesday saw my output drop to 3000 steps.  Giong back to work on Thursday left me 39 steps away from 3400.  Friday was even worse, as I needed an additional 5 steps just to reach 2900.  My first baseball game of the second half pushed up Saturday’s total, finishing with 6300 while watching the White Sox lose their 13th consecutive game.

Total steps: 37,921

Daily average: 5417.3

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Sour Sixteen

After a busy day watching teammates getting traded away, rookie Jonathan Cannon took the mound last night looking to stop his team’s record fifteen-game losing streak.  He did his part, throwing 7 innings of 1-hit ball, leaving with a 2-1 lead.  Unfortunately, rookie Fraser Ellard, making his major league debut thanks to those earlier trades, couldn’t hold down the fort and the White Sox fell to the Royals once again, losing 4-3 and extending their losing streak to a franchise-record sixteen games.

Only five other teams have lost sixteen consecutive games in a single season since 1994: the 2005 Royals (19 losses), 2011 Mariners (17 losses), 2021 Diamondbacks (17 losses), and 2021 Orioles (19 losses).  The 2024 White Sox now join this list, while now racking up more blown saves (28) than wins (27).  They will once again try to snap this losing streak this afternoon against the Royals.

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Busted Promise

The White Sox wrapped up the trade deadline action with two final moves: trading Eloy Jimenez and Tanner Banks.  Jimenez, the 27-year-old DH who was one of the centerpieces of the last rebuild, was sent packing to the Orioles, in a move that mostly gives the White Sox salary relief.  The team did receive Trey McGough, a 26-year-old left hander who has split time this season between the Double A and Triple A bullpens for the Orioles.

After a promising start to his career with the White Sox, Jimenez has suffered from repeated injuries and declining output ever since the 2021 season.  This year, he has been hampered by a left adductor strain and a left hamstring and has managed career lows in all three slash numbers.  Rumors abound about his commitment and preparation, or lack thereof, so maybe this will be the kick in the backside he needs to reboot his career.

Tanner Banks, 32, heads to the Phillies.  In return, the White Sox receive William Bergolla, a 19-year-old second baseman known for his strong bat-to-ball skills.  He was ranked as the 10th best prospect in the Phillies system by Baseball America

 

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Some Minor Deals

The Cubs struck first today, sending Mark Leiter Jr. to the Yankees for Ben Cowles and Jack Neely.  Leiter’s father, Mark Sr., and uncle, Al, both pitched for the Yankees during their major league careers, so this is something of a homecoming for the right-handed reliever.  Cowles, 24, is a middle infielder currently in Double A.  Neely, also 24, is a 6’8″ relief pitcher who has shone at both Double A and Triple A this season.

On the other side of town, the White Sox shipped Paul DeJong to the Royals, their opponent in tonight’s game, in exchange for Jarold Rosado.  DeJong signed with the White Sox this November and currently leads the team in home runs.  Rosado, 21, has made 27 appearances at Class A, putting up a 1.85 ERA with 4 saves and 45 strikeouts.

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Sad History

Things were looking good for the White Sox as they tried to snap their franchise-record fourteen game losing streak last night, as they carried a 5-2 lead into the 8th inning.  Two solo shots and a grand slam later, the Royals led 8-5 and, for the second time this season, the White Sox had set a new franchise record for futility with their fifteenth consecutive loss in a single season.  They also tied the overall franchise record, set across the 1967 and 1968 seasons.

Thanks to off days and the All-Star break, it has been 20 calendar days since the White Sox have won a game.  They are now 3-20 in the month of July and 27-82 on the season, guaranteeing them a losing season.  On July 29th.

 

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A Blockbuster Deal?

Despite having the worst record in baseball, the White Sox do have some pieces to move at the trade deadline.  Looking to take the easy route, GM Chris Getz decided to bundle them all in the same move.  Erick Fedde, Tommy Pham, and Michael Kopech are all leaving as part of a three-team trade, with Fedde, Pham, and cash considerations heading to the Cardinals and Kopech going to the Dodgers.  In return, the White Sox receive Miguel Vargas, Jaral Perez and Alexander Albertus, all from the Dodgers, along with either a player to be named later or cash considerations.  The Cardinals are also sending Tommy Edman and Oliver Gonzalez to the Dodgers,

Vargas, 24, is hitting .239/.313/.423 over 80 plate appearances this season while playing left field in his third go-around with the Dodgers.  He has also spent time at first base, second base, and third base in the past.  Albertus, a 19-year-old third baseman, is the Dodger’s 16th-ranked prospect per Baseball America and the 23rd according to MLB Pipeline.  He is currently hitting .229/.317/.329 for Low-A Rancho Cucamonga.  Perez, also 19 and playing in Rancho Cucamonga, ranks as the 17th-ranked prospect on Pipeline’s top 30 and 18th on BA.

A change of scenery should do Kopech some good, who has had bright spots and not so bright spots during his White Sox tenure.  Fedde, signed to a two-year deal after dominating the South Korean league last year, was solid in his return to MLB.  Pham was basically signed to be traded at the deadline, so no surprise to see him going elsewhere.

Did Getz get enough back in this trade?  Early word in the baseball Twitterverse says no, but it is hard to tell when a majority of the return are still in their teens.

Fedde’s, Kopech’s, and Pham’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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Losing 14 Again

The White Sox tied their franchise record for consecutive losses in a single season yesterday, dropping their second straight game to the Mariners by the score of 6-3 for their fourteenth straight defeat.  Over the course of their 125-year history, the franchise’s previous fourteen game losing streak came less than two months ago.

The overall team record is fifteen straight losses, which happened with five losses to end of the 1967 season followed by another ten straight to start the 1968 season.  The 2024 incarnation will attempt to avoid tying this mark tonight, as the Royals come to town for a three-game series.