White Sox close it up late to only lose to the Orioles by 10, 13-3

Hey, you have to relish the big comebacks when they happen

It was close there, for a moment, before season loss 108 sounded its siren. Maybe two moments, Heck, the White Sox even had an early lead, thanks to a couple of bloop singles to start the game, with Andrew Benintendi and Gavin Sheets coming through.

There it was, a big 2-0 lead off of Corbin Burnes that lasted all the way to the first Oriole batter, when Gunner Henderson parked one off of Chris Flexen.

(If you would like to see more video highlights of this game, please switch to an Orioles site, where there will be a whole bunch. There are no more for the Sox, unless you include getting a garbage run the Orioles didn’t care about after they had built a 13-2 lead.)

Flexen set the tone for the Sox by getting into constant trouble, though (usually) getting out of it. The process forced him to throw 95 pitches through the point he left the game, down 3-2 with one out in the bottom of the fourth.

Think 95 pitches in 3 1⁄3 was a lot? Then you don’t know White Sox pitching. Flexen and four relievers (who shall remain nameless, as they may well be headed to the witness protection program) totaled 228, and that’s just through eight innings, which makes for an average of (we do the math, so you don’t have to) 28.5 an inning. For context, that’s slightly short of double what it should be.

In the process, the Orioles had 18 hits and drew eight walks, with an additional baserunner from an error. They left 16 men on base, or the score would have gone from football territory into the basketball realm.

One bright spot — the Sox staff moved up the big inning, surrendering six runs in the sixth instead of the usual seventh, to get it out of the way.

As for the offense, well, there was that first inning, and that garbage run in the eighth on a Corey Julks single. And they did really well with runners in scoring position, batting .500, although that was only 3-for-6. The Orioles by contrast hit a measly .304 with RISP, but then, they had 23 chances at it and should have been more experienced at the process.

So, 31-108, 11 losses in a row, and the Sox still haven’t won a game Flexen started since May 8. For what it’s worth, this series continues tomorrow night, with Nick Nastrini facing Cade Povich, who has an ERA of 6.58 and has given up 10 runs in 8 1⁄3 innings in his last two starts. Perhaps the Sox can score three runs again.

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Futility Watch

White Sox 2024 Record 31-108, worst 139-game start in White Sox history (13 games worse than the next-worst, 1932 White Sox), second-worst MLB start all-time and a season-worst 76 games below .500
White Sox 2024 Run Differential -301, seventh-worst 139-game start in MLB history and a 2024 season worst
White Sox 2024 Batting WAR -8.1 (through September 1); 1.9 WAR better than all-time MLB-worst 1977 Atlanta Braves (10.0)
White Sox 2024 Season Record Pace 36-126 (.225)
All-Time White Sox Record (1901-2024) 9,584-9,599 (.4996)
Race to the Worst “Modern” 162-Game Record (2003 Tigers, 43-119) 7 games worse; need to finish 13-10 to end season 44-118
Race to the Worst “Modern” Record in a 162-Game Season (1962 Mets, 40-120) 5 games worse; need to finish 10-13 to end season 41-121
Race to the Most White Sox Losses (1970, 106) new record set (108 and counting)
Race to the Worst White Sox Record (1932, 52-109-1*) 16 1⁄2 games worse; need to finish season 22-1 to end season 53-109
Race to the Worst American League Record (1916 A’s, 38-124*) 2 games worse; need to finish season 8-15 to finish 39-123
*record adjusted to a 162-game season

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