Chicago White Sox to be the worst MLB in history?

No, I don't take any particular glee from this.

White Sox watch: Where has this team been all season?

by the Athletic

Sept 15, 2024

The 1962 New York Mets lost 120 games, setting the record for the most defeats in a single season in modern baseball history. The 2024 Chicago White Sox are on pace to supplant the Mets as the worst team ever. As the season winds down, we’ll track their efforts to avoid infamy.

The White Sox might not have lit the world on fire the last two days against the Oakland Athletics. But darn it, they looked like a competent ball club.

Chicago’s starting pitchers allowed just two runs over their last 10 innings. They clubbed four homers and 24 hits. And, on Sunday, the bullpen locked it down. All in an effort to get back to 80 games below .500 on the season with its 4-3 win at home on Sunday.

The prospect of avoiding the record-setting 121 losses remains unlikely. Chicago would need to go 7-5, not exactly the expectation for a team that’s won only 23 percent of its games this year.

With that said, six games remaining against the Los Angeles Angels (60-88) presents an opening, however small it might be.

The consecutive victories mark the first winning streak since June 28-29 against the NL-worst Colorado Rockies. And after going more than a month without a home win, they notched two in 24 hours.

Starting pitcher Sean Burke allowed two runs over five innings. Five-hole hitter Gavin Sheets homered for the second consecutive day. Bryan Ramos added some much-needed insurance with a home run of his own. Chicago’s bullpen combined for four innings, allowing just two baserunners.

The White Sox looked like a perfectly fine baseball team this weekend. With 12 games left, and six losses shy of the record, will perfectly fine be enough to avoid history? — Sam Blum

Current pace: 124 losses

Games remaining: 12

Wins needed to avoid equaling the ’62 Mets: 8

Next game: Monday at Angels. RHP Jonathan Cannon 3-10, 4.56 ERA (White Sox) vs. LHP Reid Detmers 4-6, 5.64 ERA (Angels)

Sept. 14: A rare walk-off win puts the brakes on history for now

Chicago’s seemingly inevitable march toward the all-time loss record took a break on Saturday. Instead, it was a hit parade on the Southside, with the 16th and final knock coming on an Andrew Benintendi walk-off homer in a 7-6 victory.

Chicago’s bullpen blew two separate three-run leads, including one in the ninth inning. But the offense made their struggles moot. It was their first home win since Aug. 12.

This beleaguered bunch will still need to win nine of its final 13 games to avoid equaling the 1962 Mets’ 120-loss mark. And eight wins to avoid setting the record itself.

Another game against the Athletics, and six chances against lowly Angels present an opening for the White Sox to make a last-minute miracle push to avoid infamy. Don’t forget, the 2003 Detroit Tigers won five of six to end their season and finish with only 119 losses. Perhaps the record books provide the most motivation.

The White Sox won their second consecutive game that Chris Flexen pitched. That’s significant mostly because they’d lost his previous 20 games started. He navigated through traffic over five scoreless innings.

Chicago posted seven singles in the first two innings off Oakland starter J.T. Ginn. Gavin Sheets added a solo home run.

It looked like this game would follow a familiar pattern. The A’s immediately scored three off reliever Chad Kuhl. But Enyel De Los Santos stabilized the effort, throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Justin Anderson blew another three-run lead in the ninth.

But Benintendi was clutch all day. He posted two tie-breaking hits, including the game-winner.

In any down season, a losing team at least hopes it sees growth in certain areas. When you’re 81 games below .500, however, sustained growth is inherently elusive.

Saturday might not have represented growth. But at least their home fans got to celebrate a win, finally. — Sam Blum

Current pace: 125 losses

Games remaining: 13

Wins needed to avoid equaling the ’62 Mets: 9

Next game: Sunday vs. Oakland. LHP JP Sears 11-10, 4.18 ERA (A’s) vs. RHP Sean Burke 0-0, 0.00 ERA (White Sox)

Sept. 13: Shutout loss puts Chicago within six losses of MLB record

The roles were supposed to be reversed. If you asked any casual baseball fan at the beginning of the year which team would enter this mid-September series — Oakland A’s versus Chicago White Sox — looking to avoid the loss record, the answer would have been Oakland.

Preseason expectations weren’t high for the White Sox, to be sure. Just ask their GM. But it was Oakland coming off a 110-loss season, amid a chaotic off-field storm.

Instead, it’s Oakland building an exciting young core. And the White Sox are counting down the days until the season ends. Their relevance is tied directly to their futility. A 33-115 record leaves their club six losses shy of solo ownership of the record.

This 2-0 defeat wasn’t a blowout. Zack Gelof doubled home a run in the fourth. Brent Rooker gave the A’s some insurance an inning later with a two-out single. Chicago’s pitching held up, but its offense couldn’t scratch out a run.

Out of context, it was just a regular game — unlike many mammoth blowouts that populate their schedule.

In context, however, it added to their unwelcome history.

The White Sox lost their 16th consecutive home game, spanning more than a month. They dropped to 5-26 in the Grady Sizemore era. They tied the 2018 Baltimore Orioles and the 1935 Boston Braves for the fourth-most losses since the creation of the American League in 1901.

In an alternate universe, it’s the A’s desperately trying to avoid infamy. In this world, however, it’s the White Sox who are seemingly resigned to it. — Sam Blum