This story was originally published by Dead Spin
One day after matching the American League record for consecutive defeats, the Chicago White Sox will attempt to end their epic skid when they continue a three-game road series against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday.
In the continuation of a six-day trip that began with a three-game sweep in Minnesota, the White Sox couldn’t overcome a walks-filled major league debut by Ky Bush and got just four hits against three A’s pitchers en route to a 5-1 defeat on Monday, their 21st straight loss.
Having tied the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the AL record, the White Sox can claim the mark all to themselves in the rematch. Chicago will send a second straight rookie, right-hander Jonathan Cannon (1-5, 4.11 ERA), to the mound in search of the team’s first win since July 10.
A 22nd straight loss would set up a third straight historic day in Oakland on Wednesday, when the White Sox would have the opportunity to match the 23 straight losses recorded by the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies, which stands as the modern-day major league mark for futility.
A potential record-breaking 24th consecutive defeat could come when the White Sox return home to host the rival Chicago Cubs on Friday.
With Bush and Cannon getting opportunities earlier than the franchise might have anticipated and Miguel Vargas trying to solidify his position as the team’s new leadoff hitter one week after he was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol sees a positive with the current state of his ballclub.
“For our players, this is a great opportunity for them to come out and show everybody that they’re big-leaguers,” he said. “In the midst of the storm that we’re in, I think it’s healthy for the players and the organization to get a really good look at where we’re at and where they’re at.”
Cannon had a win and a save within his first six appearances (five starts) across both his first major league stint in April and his return in June. He has since fallen upon hard times, going 0-4 with a 4.78 ERA in his past seven outings (six starts).
The 24-year-old has never faced the A’s.
After Oakland’s JP Sears fired seven innings of one-run ball in the series opener, teammate Ross Stripling (2-10, 5.64) will hope to follow the same game plan on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old right-hander threw one of his best games of the season in his most recent start against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. He allowed just one run and four hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 1-0 road loss.
Stripling has been superb against the White Sox in his career, going 3-0 with a 0.77 ERA in four matchups, only one of which was a start.
In contrast to the scene in the visitors’ clubhouse, the mood among A’s players was cheerier than what might have been expected after snapping a two-game losing streak. That’s because Oakland got good news off the field even before the win in the series opener.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay announced that All-Star reliever Mason Miller was fitted for a splint on his broken left pinky finger and could return as early as the series finale on Wednesday. Jacob Wilson shouldn’t be far behind, Kotsay indicated, as the touted rookie shortstop rehabs a strained left hamstring.
Kotsay said of Miller’s pregame bullpen session, during which the right-hander tried out the splint under his glove, “He came out of it feeling great, which is a great sign. He’s more comfortable and can get the glove squeezed and protect himself on a ball coming back at him, which is first and foremost.”
–Field Level Media
