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.
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.
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.