OAKLAND, Calif. — Andrew Benintendi hit a two-run homer and the Chicago White Sox snapped their American League record-tying losing streak at 21 games on Tuesday night, beating the Oakland Athletics 5-1.
Chicago on Monday matched the longest losing streak since the 1988 Baltimore Orioles lost 21 in a row, falling to the Athletics 5-1. The NL record since 1900 is held by the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies, who lost 23 straight.
The major league low belongs to the 1889 Louisville Colonels, an American Association team that lost 26 consecutive games during a 27-111 season.
“It’s just really good to get this behind us,” Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said.
According to ESPN Stats & Information research, before Tuesday, the White Sox had gone five straight games without holding a lead, their longest streak since 2019. The only season in the last 50 years in which they had a longer streak was in 2013.
And when Benintendi homered to right to open the scoring at 2-0, it marked Chicago’s first lead since July 30th against the Kansas City Royals.
Chicago, which had last won on July 10 in a doubleheader opener against Minnesota, moved to 28-88. The White Sox have been held to one run or none 32 times this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.