This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The number 16 is anything but sweet for the slumping Chicago White Sox.
Then again, there has been little to savor at any point this season for a club that’s 56 games under .500.
Chicago has lost a franchise-worst 16 straight games and been swept in 16 series. The White Sox will try to keep both numbers from growing in Wednesday’s series finale against the visiting Kansas City Royals.
Kansas City has pinned five losses on Chicago during the latest skid. The Royals took all three from the White Sox at Kauffman Stadium in the first series after the All-Star break, and have used eighth-inning rallies to win Monday and Tuesday.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. punctuated a six-run rally with a grand slam on Monday. He contributed a game-tying single Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to 12 games before scoring what stood up as the winning run.
“Good teams find different ways to win every night, and there’s a room full of guys that are capable of stepping up; it doesn’t always have to be Bob,” said Royals reliever Sam Long, who struck out two in a perfect ninth on Tuesday to earn the save, his first of the season. “We’ve got guys that love to win, and so for anyone on this roster, everyone loves to be that guy to step up.”
While White Sox relievers have sullied strong outings from right-handers Chris Flexen and Jonathan Cannon to open the series, Chicago also has bemoaned lost opportunities to add runs.
After trading multiple players ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s deadline, the White Sox will take on a new look. Still, some veterans have shown well lately. Andrew Vaughn has homered in two straight games, while Nicky Lopez and Nick Senzel collected two hits apiece on Tuesday.
Chicago, which lost 14 in a row from May 22 to June 6, is seeking its first victory since July 10. Manager Pedro Grifol says he isn’t concerned about rumors questioning his job security.
Under contract for 2025, Grifol plans to operate under the notion that he will continue to help the organization in its latest rebuild.
“I’m going to work tirelessly every single day like I’m going to be here next year and five years after,” Grifol said. “My responsibility and my vision is to put this organization in a place where we see white towels all the way from that corner to that corner and are playing meaningful baseball games every single day. That’s what I think about all day long.
“How can we get there? And that’s all I’m going to think about. Do I want to be here? Of course I want to be here. This is what I’ve dreamed of all my life.”
Kansas City’s Brady Singer (7-6, 2.82 ERA) is set to face Drew Thorpe (3-2, 4.81) in a matchup of right-handers on Wednesday.
Singer threw seven shutout innings to beat the White Sox on July 20 in Kansas City, and blanked the Chicago Cubs for seven more innings on Friday in beating the Chicago Cubs. He is 4-3 with a 3.68 ERA in 15 career games against the White Sox, including 14 starts.
Thorpe, a rookie, scattered three hits in six shutout innings at Kansas City on July 21 before getting shelled against Seattle on Friday. He pitched just two-thirds of an inning, giving up eight runs, and three of the six hits he surrendered went for home runs.
–Field Level Media
