Chicago White Sox' losing streak is over, but the shot at a historically terrible record is still possible
The Chicago White Sox will not set the MLB record for the longest losing streak in the modern era. There is still a great shot of setting the record for most defeats in a 162-game season.
The Chicago White Sox finally have enjoyed victory after almost going an entire month without one. The hope was the Sox would continue to lose enough to break the longest streak in the modern era.
The club fell three defeats short of setting a new mark. It means owner Jerry Reinsdorf, general manager Chris Getz, and manager Pedro Grifol will not have to wear that infamous mark.
It also means the owner's high tolerance for embarrassment will probably not be enough to fire Grifol or even think bigger and can Getz.
For @LaurenceWHolmes, the White Sox’s 21-game losing streak was another reminder – and maybe the starkest yet – of Jerry Reinsdorf’s mindset.
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) August 7, 2024
“It just feels like you have an owner that doesn’t care, that isn’t embarrassed enough,” he says.
Listen: https://t.co/tibf3ssbe9 pic.twitter.com/2vdOu4VlKm
It also means the White Sox go back to being irrelevant until at least September. A portion of the fanbase were hoping the team would continue to be the best at losing to at least keep things interesting no matter how ironic that sounds..
That has been one way to rationalize this terrible season.
If you are going to be the worst, be the best at it, and a portion of the fan base will not get to have the morbid enjoyment of the Sox replacing the Philadelphia Phillies as the club with the longest losing streak in the modern era.
White Sox break historic 21-game losing streak thanks to the A’s — and fans are not pleased @DiBillick and many other South Siders demand validation for a season of sufferinghttps://t.co/rlUcEQSHfW
— South Side Sox (@SouthSideSox) August 7, 2024
Play the long game when hoping for the worst when it comes to wanting Reinsdorf have the indignity of owning a team that would be synonymous with losing.
The longest-losing skid is not in play, but the worst record in the 162-game era still is. The 1962 New York Mets hold that record with the 120 games they dropped that year. They did it in 161 games.
Teamrankings.com projects the White Sox to win 44 games. Fangraphs forecasts the White Sox finishing with 46 victories.
ZiPS is more favorable to the Sox as they give Chicago a 99% chance of winning 53 games. However, ZiPS gives the Southsiders a one-in-three chance of winning 39 games.
Reality gives the White Sox a very good chance of winning less than 40 games.
The Sox winning formula gives them a very narrow path to victory. They usually need to score five or more runs, as that has happened in the majority of their minimal victories. Then, the club must limit the opponent to three runs or less. The Sox have only won a handful of games when their opponent has scored more than that.
In addition, the Southsiders need solid defense and the bullpen cannot blow the lead. The team has already blown more than 40 leads this season.
Garrett Crochet is not going to be much of a stopper on the mound as he is only going four innings lately to preserve his arm. Chris Flexen is still taking the ball every five days and he is giving up more than three runs a lot lately.
Davis Martin is still working his way back into form after returning from Tommy John surgery. Rookie Ky Bush had command issues in his first big-league start. Hopefully, that was just jitters, but if he struggles with his command like fellow rookie Nick Nastrini did, then that is another starter possibly giving up more than three runs.
Once Drew Thorpe returns from the IL, he must be like what we saw in six of his first seven starts and not the struggling pitcher that was on the mound over his past two starts before he got hurt.
Jonathan Cannon has been the only real workhorse on the mound lately. It is no wonder his start finally snapped the 21-game losing streak.
The schedule also is not favorable the rest of the way.
The Sox still have to play the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, and Houston Astros. Plus, the crosstown rival Chicago Cubs are playing better baseball.
The only match ups where you can feel that the Sox should at least get a victory or two is when they play Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland Athletics later in the season.
The path to get to 43 wins to avoid tying the 1962 Mets seems narrow. In addition, winning 43 games would tie the 2003 Detroit Tigers for the worst record in a full 162-game schedule.
The hardest part is that the Sox will not be rewarded with a top-nine pick like the 03 Tigers got to do. In the 2004 draft, the Tigers took Justin Verlander with the No. 2 overall pick. The new lottery rules mean the White Sox will be selecting no higher than No. 10. You can still get a good player, but it would be nicer to shop from the top-five prospect section.
While the national embarrassment is gone when it comes to the longest losing streak, it will be back in September when this team is most likely chasing history.
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