The Chicago White Sox halted their historic losing streak at 21 games on Tuesday night, achieving a 5-1 victory against the Oakland A’s. This win ties them with the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the longest losing streak in American League history, but prevents them from breaking the record. The 1961 Philadelphia Phillies still hold the modern-day MLB record with a 23-game losing streak.
This victory marks the White Sox’s first since their 3-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on July 10 and their first in 18 games since the All-Star break.
A’s pitcher Ross Stripling, who took the loss in the game, shared his thoughts on the White Sox’s streak, stating, “They’re a team that we feel like we should beat, and obviously they’ve lost 20-something in a row. Gosh, the [former President] Trump assassination attempt happened between the last win and today, which is one of those stats that just doesn’t feel possible.”
The attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump took place on July 13, just days after Chicago’s last win.
Chicago struck first in the fourth inning with a two-run home run from Andrew Benintendi, which was all the offense the team needed. They added three more insurance runs while their pitching staff limited the A’s to just one run for the rest of the game.
Starting pitcher Jonathan Cannon was a standout for the White Sox, throwing six innings and allowing one earned run on six hits while walking two and striking out five. The only run scored against him was a solo home run by Zack Gelof. Relief pitchers Dominic Leone, Chad Kuhl, and John Brebbia each pitched a scoreless inning to secure the win.
The White Sox still face the challenge of avoiding further ignominy. Their 21-game losing streak included six series sweeps, four of which were against teams vying for postseason positions, such as the Twins and Mariners. However, a series against the last-place A’s, who hold the second-worst record in the AL behind the White Sox, provided the opportunity they needed to end the streak.
Despite this victory, the White Sox remain on track for one of the worst seasons in baseball history, now holding a record of 28-88 (.241). They sit 41 games behind first place in the AL Central and 26.5 games behind the next-worst team in the division, the Detroit Tigers. Their run differential stands at minus-241, which is 70 runs worse than the next-worst team, the Colorado Rockies, who have a minus-177 run differential.
In terms of historical context, the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics recorded a win percentage of .235, the lowest in the modern era, while the 1962 New York Mets hold the record for the most single-season losses at 120. Both records remain within reach for the struggling White Sox as the season progresses.
