White Sox Hit Rock Bottom with 20th Consecutive Loss to Twins
The Chicago White Sox's season has taken a historical downturn, culminating in their 20th consecutive loss on Sunday against the Minnesota Twins. Despite a spirited attempt, the White Sox fell 13-7 in a game that saw them once again get off to a poor start.
Chicago began the game on the back foot, conceding two runs in the first inning, and by the end of the second, the Twins had amassed a commanding 8-0 lead. Royce Lewis contributed significantly to this deficit with a three-run home run, punctuating a dominant offensive display from the Twins early on.
While the White Sox managed to score more than five runs for the first time during their losing streak, their efforts were not enough to overcome the sizeable lead established by Minnesota. Over the course of their 20-game skid, the White Sox have been outscored 131-48, reflecting an average deficit of four runs per game—a daunting challenge for any team to overcome.
This protracted nightmare marks the longest active losing streak in Major League Baseball and places the White Sox among a select, albeit unfortunate, group of franchises. Only six other teams in modern MLB history have endured a 20-game losing streak, including the 1988 Baltimore Orioles and the 1969 Montreal Expos. Such infamous company underscores the depth of Chicago's current woes.
The sheer length and severity of this losing streak have erased nearly all the positives from what has been a brutal season for the White Sox. Their current season record sits at a staggering 27-87, a statistic made more ominous by the fact that with just three more losses, they would tie the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies' record of 23 consecutive defeats.
Moreover, this 20-game slide isn’t the only significant losing streak the White Sox have endured this season. Earlier, from May 22 until June 6, the team suffered through a 14-game losing streak, which ties for the 38th longest in MLB history.
At this rate, the White Sox are charting a course for a 124-loss season. Only the 1962 New York Mets have lost more games in the modern era, finishing with a record of 40-120. In the years since World War II, only two teams—the 2003 Detroit Tigers and the 2018 Baltimore Orioles—have lost more than 115 games in a season. Therefore, this year’s White Sox team is threatening to join the annals of MLB infamy.
As they prepare to face the Oakland Athletics on Monday, the team and its fans are desperately hoping for a victory to halt this historic slide. The gravity of the situation is not lost on anyone involved, and ending the streak would at least provide a glimmer of relief in an otherwise dismal campaign.
The tale of the 2023 Chicago White Sox is quickly transforming from one of struggle to one of historical precedent. Every game now carries the weight of either continuing their inexorable decline or igniting a resurgence, however modest. For the players donning the White Sox uniforms, each inning, each at-bat, and each pitch has become another opportunity to rewrite a narrative that, to this point, has been defined by unparalleled adversity.