ARLINGTON, Texas — It was a good night for two of the White Sox’ trade chips.
As usual, it was another bad night for the Sox.
Right-hander Erick Fedde pitched a typical Fedde game, allowing two runs in 6 1/3 innings, and infielder Paul DeJong hit his team-leading 17th homer in the ninth. It was the first allowed by Rangers closer Kirby Yates this season.
But the Rangers tied it in the ninth against John Brebbia on Wyatt Langford’s double and Jonah Heim’s two-out single, held the Sox scoreless in the 10th and won it 4-3 on Langford’s single against Steven Wilson with the bases full.
The Sox (27-75) extended their losing streak to eight. It marked the 20th time they lost when leading in the seventh inning or later.
“That was a gut punch,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “I thought our guys battled all day long. We had a great day’s work. We were prepared. We had some good meetings about some things we needed to take care of. These guys were ready to play, and they played really hard.”
Which is all well and good, but it’s not good enough for a team whose bullpen has blown a major league high 25 saves.
The Sox are expected to be among the most active sellers before next Tuesday’s trade deadline. DeJong, who played third base, should have some trade value.
“We have to play for each other,” DeJong said. “A lot other unknowns, but we have to look around the room and say ‘This is our team today’ and find a way to win as a group, pull for each other and not be thinking about something else.”
Fedde, who lowered his ERA one fraction to 2.98, will have even more value with a full season at a $7.5 million salary for a team looking to land an All-Star caliber starter.
“Obviously that day is looming on the club,” Fedde said. “But we have to worry about doing our job on the field. Show up to work, do what is expected of me, not more. And whatever happens, happens. It’s the only way to really look at it.”
Michael Kopech pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief of Brebbia.
Fedde gave up solo homer to Marcus Semien and Leody Taveras and exited a 2-2 game after 6 1/3 innings.
Tommy Pham homered against Michael Lorenzen in the first, Andrew Vaughn hit the 100th double of his career and scored on Brooks Baldwin’s single, giving Baldwin the first RBI of his career. Baldwin also stole second base.
But the Sox were 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position and struck out 17 times.
In the 10th, with the free runner on third base and one out, Corey Seager and Josh Smith were walked intentionally before Langford delivered the first walk off hit of his career.
NOTE: The Sox signed their first-round pick, Arkansas left-hander Hagen Smith, to an $8 million bonus, and second round shortstop Caleb Bonemer of Okemos (Mich.) High School, for $3 million.