White Sox Extend Losing Streak to 20 Games in Rough Defeat to Twins
The Chicago White Sox's season of struggles added another painful chapter on Sunday, as they suffered a 13-7 defeat to the Minnesota Twins. The loss extended their losing streak to 20 games, the longest current streak in Major League Baseball.
Falling behind early has been a recurrent nightmare for the White Sox, and Sunday’s game was no exception. The Twins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and then widened the gap significantly, amassing an 8-0 lead by the end of the second inning. Royce Lewis played a pivotal role, launching a three-run homer that sparked Minnesota's early onslaught.
While the White Sox managed to cross the five-run threshold for the first time during this extended skid, it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the deficit. The team has been overwhelmingly outscored 131-48 over the course of their 20-game losing streak, averaging a deficit of four runs per game. This recent stretch of poor performances has positioned the White Sox precariously close to a dubious record; just three more losses would tie them with the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies for the longest losing streak in modern MLB history at 23 games.
The current ordeal marks the seventh instance in modern Major League Baseball history wherein a franchise has endured a 20-game losing streak. Alongside the White Sox, such streaks have plagued teams like the 1988 Baltimore Orioles and the 1969 Montreal Expos.
The past few months have been nothing short of tumultuous for the Chicago club. Earlier this season, they endured a 14-game losing streak from May 22 to June 6, a stretch that now seems brief compared to their current struggles. That 14-game run tied for the 38th longest losing streak in MLB history. However, the latest losing spell casts a long shadow over what was already a challenging season.
With a season record of 27-87, the White Sox are on pace for a historically poor finish. Should the trajectory continue, they may end up with a 124-loss season. This would place them just shy of the modern-era record held by the 1962 New York Mets, who lost 120 games. Since World War II, only two other teams have managed to lose more than 115 games in a single season: the 2003 Detroit Tigers and the 2018 Baltimore Orioles.
As the White Sox prepare to face the Oakland Athletics on Monday, the team is desperate for a win to break the cycle of defeat. Fans and players alike are hoping for a turnaround, yet the statistical and historical weight of their current performance looms large over any optimism.
With each passing game, the pressure mounts. It remains to be seen whether the White Sox can find the spark needed to end what has become one of the most grueling stretches in their franchise history.