White Sox tie 100-year-old single-season losing streak with Crosstown loss to Cubs

White Sox tie 100-year-old single-season losing streak with Crosstown loss to Cubs originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The White Sox ended up on the wrong side of franchise history, again, on Wednesday night.

With a Crosstown loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field, the White Sox are now owners of a 13-game losing streak. That skid ties the franchise record for their longest single-season losing streak. The initial 13-game mark was set back in August 1924, nearly 100 years ago.

It’s worth noting this isn’t technically the longest losing streak in White Sox history. Not a single season, but the 1967-68 White Sox lost 15 games between two seasons. The 1967 White Sox finished their season losing five games, while the next year’s South Siders lost their first 10 games.

But in terms of a single-season losing streak, the 2024 White Sox are one game away from taking the cake.

In MLB history, 11 teams have lost 13 games in a row in the American League since 2000. The MLB record for consecutive, single-season losses is 23, set by the Phillies in 1961. The Orioles hold the American League record for consecutive losses, dropping 21 games straight in 1988.

Given the horrid state of the White Sox, Pedro Grifol’s job status is inevitably brought into question.

However, before Wednesday’s game, he says that speculation comes with the territory for a team mired in a historic losing streak.

“That’s part of the job. Right? I don’t focus on that stuff. It’s a part of the job,” Grifol said before Wednesday’s game. “We’re not winning. So when you’re not winning, speculation gets higher and higher. It’s a part of what we do. We get signed up to win baseball games. And when you don’t, there’s always a possibility of a change being made.”

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