Winless for almost a month, the Chicago White Sox are making the worst kind of history.
The woeful White Sox lost their 20th consecutive game Sunday, the majors’ longest skid in 36 years and one short of the American League record, as Chris Flexen was chased early in a 13-7 defeat against the Minnesota Twins.
“At the end of the day, we’ve lost 20 in a row. That’s painful. That sucks,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “We’ve just got to find a way to put that behind us and go out there and be professionals and do what we have to do tomorrow.”
Chicago’s franchise-record losing streak is the longest in the big leagues since the 1988 Baltimore Orioles dropped 21 games in a row — the AL mark — to begin the season. The NL record, since 1900, is held by the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies, who lost 23 straight.
The major league low belongs to the 1889 Louisville Colonels, an American Association team that endured a 26-game slide during a 27-111 season.
Next up, the White Sox head to Oakland for a three-game series beginning Monday night against the Athletics, who are last in the AL West.
Chicago’s losing streak is tied with four other clubs for the third-longest since 1900: the 1969 Montreal Expos; the 1943 and 1916 Philadelphia Athletics; and the 1906 Boston Americans.
The latest defeat dropped the White Sox 60 games below .500 for the first time in franchise history. They are on pace to finish 38-124, which would be the most losses since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders of the National League went 20-134.
Chicago last won on July 10 against Minnesota, 3-1 in the first game of a doubleheader.
The White Sox have been outscored 131-48 during the losing streak. Their seven runs and 12 hits Sunday were both their most in a game during the skid.
