South Siders give up the lead in the ninth, as they blow the game at home
The Chicago White Sox have lost the finale against the Texas Rangers, as they come up short of the sweep yet again, 5-4. This was a tight game all the way through, but Jordan Leasure was unable to close the game.
Davis Martin started on the mound for the South Siders and labored early, as old friend Jake Burger struck first for the Rangers with a two-run shot in the second inning.
Patrick Corbin didn’t allow a hit until Miguel Vargas slammed a solo shot to the left field bullpen with one out in the fourth.
From then the game continued with a 2-1 lead for the Rangers until Austin Slater came up big, leading off the bottom of the sixth inning with his second home run of the season.
Vargas doubled immediately after, and advanced to third on a Andrew Benintendi ground out. That would be the end of the line for Corbin as he was replaced by Luke Jackson. Corbin went 5 1⁄3 innings with five hits, three runs, one walk, and six strikeouts. He had yet another solid game for the Rangers.
The rally continued for Chicago, as Luis Robert Jr. lofted a sacrifice fly to drive in Vargas and give the White Sox the 3-2 lead.
The game continued on until the ninth inning without further scoring, highlighted by Chase Meidroth extending his hitting streak to 13 games, now the second-longest in baseball. Martin went six innings with four hits, two runs, three walks, and two strikeouts, putting together another quality start.
Jordan Leasure came in to close the game, and never really came close to doing so, as the Rangers had other plans. They came out swinging in the top of the ninth inning, as Josh Jung was hit on a 0-2 pitch and Burger doubled to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Alejandro Osuna, who made his MLB debut in the game, struck out. With one out and the tying run still at third, Kyle Higashioka slapped a sharp grounder to third, leading to a comedy of errors between third baseman Vargas and “first baseman” Lenyn Sosa:
And this is the result of having a roster without a true first baseman, as Sosa was completely off the bag on the throw. This marks the second straight game, playing second base and now first, that Sosa has failed to touch a base for a putout.
The run would have scored either way, but you can’t give away outs as a matter of routine.
This led to an Adolis García double, driving in two more runs to give Texas the lead. How predictable.
The White Sox threatened with a comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning, as Edgar Quero started off with a double. After a Sosa strikeout, Michael A. Taylor got the Sox on the board by doubling Quero home and cutting the deficit to 5-4.
Could the offense get in the tying run from second? The answer was no, as Taylor was picked off after drifting too far off of second. Vinny Capra — yes, the player on the roster to shore up the defense a la Jacob Amaya — batted for himself and ended the game with a fly out.
It was a competitive ballgame, but they just keep falling short of a sweep. Fifty-three games in, and the White Sox have not swept a team; even the 2024 Sox had done so by now.
The 17-36 Sox move on to a series in Queens against the New York Mets, starting tomorrow at 3:10 p.m. CT for a Memorial Day showdown. New starter Adrian Houser will be on the mound against Clay Holmes, looking to grab some wins against the struggling Mets.
Everyone enjoy this holiday weekend, and see you back out here tomorrow in New York City.
Futility Watch
White Sox 2025 Record 17-36, tied for the third-worst start in White Sox history and tied for the 71st-worst start in baseball history. A 17-36 record projects to 52-110 over a full season. A year ago, the record-breaking White Sox were 15-38.
All-Time White Sox Record (1901-2025, 19,259 games) 9,611-9,648 (.4990). It’s been 97 games since the White Sox had an all-time winning record.
Record Since the New Pope Was Revealed as a White Sox Fan 7-8
- Race to the Worst “Modern” 162-Game Record (2024 White Sox, 41-121)
- Race to the Worst “Modern” Record in a 162-Game Season (1962 Mets, 40-120-1, finished three percentage points worse than the 2024 White Sox)
- Race to the Most White Sox Losses (2024, 121)
- Race to the Worst White Sox Record (2024, 41-121)
11 games better, in all cases
Race to the Worst Post-1899 Record (1916 A’s, 38-124 adjusted to 162 games) 14 games better