The Chicago White Sox avoided becoming the worst team in modern MLB history, again, staving off their 121st loss of the season with a walk-off win Wednesday night over the Angles.
Thanks to Andrew Benintendi, who walked off his third game of the season this year, the White Sox avoided infamy.
BENNY WALKS IT OFF FOR A THIRD TIME THIS SEASON 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/cD4yNjSDa1
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) September 26, 2024
"At this point, guys can pack it in and just kinda get to these next few games," Benintendi said on the NBC Sports Chicago broadcast after the game. "I mean, we still gotta keep pushing. We have a young team. These are valuable games going forward. Just trying to compete throughout the game."
The White Sox delayed history for a second consecutive night in style. They also defeated the Angels on Tuesday, 3-2, to stave off the first opportunity to overtake the record. The White Sox scored three runs in the eighth inning to storm back.
Before Tuesday's win, the White Sox were 0-94 on the season when trailing going into the seventh inning. They earned their first comeback win in that category by going up and winning the game after the eighth inning. And for a second straight night, the White Sox pushed off the record thanks to a walk-off win over the Angels.
Still, the record looms as the White Sox have four more games to get through before they can officially say they avoided setting a new record.
Chicago White Sox
"It's not something that anyone wanted to be associated with," general manager Chris Getz said of the record on Tuesday. "And now it wasn't the highest priority to avoid this record, quite honestly, because we were looking at the long-term health of the organization. I do want to compliment our players and the staff that we brought up here to help these players finish the season. I think culturally, the attitude and the effort have been really good. And that's because of Grady [Sizemore], that's because of some of the other coaches, and that's because of the players. Obviously, they want more.
"They want to look up and see more wins in the column, just like our fans do. But when we made the change from Pedro [Grifol] in August, the goal was to get us to the finish line and find some wins along the way, and not necessarily just on the win-loss column, but to improve the effort, the play and set us up for a better 2025."
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The White Sox tied the 1962 Mets for the most losses in modern-day history on Sunday. They also surpassed the 2003 Detroit Tigers and 1916 Philadelphia A's, who also rank high on the list of most losses in the modern MLB era, with 119 and 117 losses, respectively.
The Cleveland Spiders technically lost --- and will lose --- more games than the White Sox in 1899. Their 134-loss season isn't looped in with today's teams because they played less than 162 games that season.
The White Sox could finish the season with 124 losses. They have one more game to play against the Angels before embarking on a three-game road trip against the Tigers to finish out their season.
While the White Sox narrowly avoided setting tumultuous history for a second time, they still have a pivotal offseason ahead. This offseason, the White Sox can pick no higher than 10th in the 2025 MLB Draft after winning a higher spot in last year’s draft.
For now, the team will focus on finishing the season. But they will have to decide on a new full-time manager after opting to fire Pedro Grifol last month. They will also have to make serious decisions about their roster, with potential trades for Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet on the table.
The team will also have to decide whether to pick up the $25 million club option on infielder Yoán Moncada, who missed most of this season with an adductor injury. Moncada is one of only four players whose 2025 salaries are currently set, as others like Crochet will be eligible for salary arbitration.
The team also has Andrew Benintendi under contract and a $7.5 million club option on Max Stassi's contract.
With the White Sox still closing in on eclipsing the record, Getz emphasized before the game his and the organization's appreciation for White Sox fans this season.
"I think it's really important to do a heartfelt thanks to our fans who have been with us through this very difficult, painful season," Getz said before the game. "They don't deserve this. It's been very trying for me, personally and our staff and everyone in this organization. Our fans certainly don't deserve to go through anything like this. I know that they pay money to come to games and watch games. They look to watch the Chicago White Sox as a positive outlet, and we haven't been able to provide too many positive outcomes throughout the season.
"It's certainly my job and others now to focus more so on the future, learn from the past and start building towards where the White Sox deserve to be for our fans and everyone who works here."
