The Chicago White Sox saw their latest skid extended to 11 games with a 13-3 rout at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, the 20th consecutive loss in which Chris Flexen began setting the modern-era baseball record (since 1900) for most consecutive losses in starts by a pitcher that had been shared with Bob Groom of the Washington Nationals.
Following an 0-10 home skid, Chicago fell to 31-108 and is on its third-longest losing streak this season after 21 losses between July 10 and Aug. 5 and 14 between May 22 and June 6. The White Sox would have to finish 12-11 to avoid tying the post-1900 losing record set by the 1962 New York Mets, who finished 40-120.
Chicago is on pace to finish with a 36-126 record, which would be the second-most losses behind the 1899 Cleveland Spiders at 20-134. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the White Sox are 4-41 in their last 45 games, the worst record over a 45-game span since the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics.
Flexen (2-14) allowed three runs and seven hits in 3⅓ innings and is 0-11 with a 5.73 ERA in 21 appearances (20 starts) since winning May 8 at Tampa Bay. He broke out of a tie with the Washington Nationals' Bob Groom to take sole possession of the longest losing streak in starts by a single pitcher since 1900, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Nationals have lost 19 straight games started by Groom in 1909. Flexen is also two of those losses ahead of the Brewers' Chris Capuano, who was 0-13 with a 6.12 ERA for Milwaukee in 23 appearances (18 starts) from May 13, 2007, through June 3, 2010, missing 2008 and '09 after Tommy John surgery.
“Every time I get the ball, I expect to go out there and be competitive, put in good performances,” Flexen said. “I don't think many of them have been that good, just a couple of quality starts, but overall, my performances have been very disappointing.”
Cedric Mullins homered and had three RBIs, and Austin Slater and Gunnar Henderson each drove in three runs for Baltimore, which overcame a 2-0 deficit and began a six-game homestand by improving to 5-0 against Chicago this season.
Henderson led off the first inning with a home run into the right-center seats, tying Cal Ripken Jr. (1991) and Miguel Tejada (2004) for the most home runs (34) by a Baltimore shortstop.
Baltimore's leadoff hitter reached base in each of the first six innings for the first time since July 4, 1997, an 11-8 loss to the Detroit Tigers in the second game of a doubleheader. The Orioles went 7 for 23 with runners in scoring position and moved within a percentage point of the AL East-leading New York Yankees.
The Orioles had their most prolific offensive day since scoring a season-high 17 runs on June 20 against the Yankees, and Baltimore's 18 hits were its most since collecting 18 at the Houston Astros on June 21.
“I think that's the offense we believe we are, and it was fun to see it manifest today,” Slater said.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
