After a wild pitch by closer Mason Miller put first baseman Andrew Vaughn on second with one out, the White Sox had a glimmer of hope.
The 26,513 fans started cheering after being silenced by a pretty quiet game until the ninth. Second baseman Lenyn Sosa had a chance to drive in the Sox’ first run and give the team a chance at stealing a game against the A’s.
Sosa battled, working the count to 3-2 and fouling off five pitches throughout the at-bat. But Miller rifled a 101.3 mph fastball that Sosa swung through for a strikeout. Miller’s strikeout ended any fan’s optimism that the Sox could rally against the A’s.
Catcher Korey Lee proceeded to fly out to second baseman Zack Gelof to end the game and hand the Sox their 115th loss, 16th consecutive at home after Friday’s 2-0 loss.
The Sox (33-115) need to go 10-4 over their final 14 games to avoid tying the Mets for the all-time loss record.
“We didn’t get any big hits when we needed them,” manager Grady Sizemore said.
The A’s weren’t an offensive juggernaut on Friday, but they were able to get timely hits to chip in some runs. In the fifth inning, designated hitter Brent Rooker hit a softly hit ball to right field that fell just in front of right fielder Dominic Fletcher to score the A’s second run.
The Sox found themselves on the wrong end of an unlucky break in the bottom of the sixth inning. With a 3-0 count, Vaughn held off on swinging a pitch out of the zone that could have been a ball but was instead called a strike. Instead of a bases-loaded situation with one out, the Sox instead got out number two before Sosa lined out to end the inning.
“I don’t want to sit there and harp on a strike call or a ball call,” Sizemore said. “You go from bases loaded, one out to two outs and guys on first and second. That puts that pitcher in a tough spot. That got them right back into it.”
But those are the breaks when you’re the Sox. With several uncompetitive at-bats, those borderline calls hurt a Sox team bereft of talent.
“It’s been like that for us all year,” Sizemore said. “There’s no room for error. The margins have been slim for us. I think we are used to playing that way. It’s not an easy way to play. It’s definitely not easy on the staff when they feel like there’s no room for error. We just kind of struggled to get that big hit and get those runs when we need it.”
The pitching and defense largely held up for the Sox. All-star pitcher Garrett Crochet had another productive but short start, throwing four innings of one-run baseball. The powerful left-hander also struck out four, walked none and allowed three hits.
If the Sox want to avoid the all-time loss record, the next two series against the A’s and the Angels will be their best chances at stealing some wins. But how can an offensive group that has proven it’s among the worst in the majors suddenly break out of its slump?
“Passing it off to the next guy and believing the next guy is going to be able to step up and if you don’t get the hit, pass it on to the next guy and believe he can do it,” Lee said.
The Sox have 14 more games to avoid infamy, but time is ticking.