2024 Chicago White Sox season: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Game log section end}}

{{Game log end}}

==Loss No. 121==

On September 22, 2024, the White Sox lost 4–2 to the [[San Diego Padres]], earning their 120th loss, surpassing the American League record set by the [[2003 Detroit Tigers season|2003 Tigers]] and tying the Major League record set by the [[1962 New York Mets season|1962 expansion New York Mets]].<ref name="Loss120"/> Following the game, several sports and news outlets ran articles discussing the potential for the White Sox to lose one of their remaining six games of the season to the [[Los Angeles Angels]] at home or the Tigers in Detroit to break the modern single-season loss record.<ref name="Loss120">{{Cite web |title=White Sox lose 120th game to tie post-1900 record by the 1962 expansion New York Mets|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/401570799 |access-date=September 28, 2024|website=ESPN |language=en|date=September 22, 2024|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

As a result, many White Sox fans bought tickets to White Sox home games against the Angels, hoping to witness the historical game where the team surpassed the modern loss record. Mixes of cheers and boos came from White Sox fans during the games when their team executed well, while fans yelled phrases such as "Sell the team!" when the team made mistakes. The White Sox won all three home games against the Angels to keep their record at 120 losses, resulting in fans throughout the stadium booing the White Sox. White Sox [[outfielder]] [[Andrew Benintendi]] acknowledged the fans' reaction after the game by saying: "People here tonight were trying to see history. They're going to have to wait one more day. Maybe."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Inside the 2024 White Sox's road to MLB's all-time worst record|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41416529/mlb-2024-chicago-white-sox-121-losses-all-record-worst-team-history-moments |access-date=September 28, 2024|website=ESPN.com |language=en|date=September 25, 2024|first1=Buster|last1=Olney|first2=Jesse|last2=Rogers|authorlink=Buster Olney}}</ref>

During the games, White Sox fans held signs mentioning the historic significance of the potential loss, including one sign bearing "121" in the font of the White Sox logo.<ref name=":4" /> The White Sox swept the Angels, winning their final home game of the season 7–0 score, resulting in a [[standing ovation]] from most of the White Sox fans in the stadium.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 26, 2024|title=White Sox sweep Angels in home finale, avoid record 121 loss|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41461980/white-sox-sweep-angels-home-finale-avoid-record-121-loss |access-date=September 28, 2024|work=ESPN|language=en|first=Jesse|last=Rogers}}</ref>

== Game ==

Prior to facing the Tigers, [[Caretaker manager|Interim White Sox manager]] [[Grady Sizemore]] stated that despite the frustration surrounding their exceptional win-loss record, the White Sox players were ultimately professionals who would not be shaken by it, and trusted that they would play to compete and to win. He further stated that since the Tigers were attempting to clinch a spot in the [[2024 Major League Baseball postseason|playoffs]], the White Sox wanted to do their best to spoil it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=White Sox stave off history, win fourth straight at home |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/white-sox-stave-off-history-with-second-straight-win |access-date=September 28, 2024|work=MLB.com |language=en|date=September 26, 2024|first=Scott|last=Merkin}}</ref> The game's outcome marked a significant prospect for the Tigers' comeback season after having only an estimated 0.2% chance of getting into the playoffs on August 5 when their record was 53–60, which matched the equally improbable playoff comeback of the National League Champion [[1973 New York Mets season|1973 New York Mets]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=5 August 2024 |title=MLB Playoff Odds |url=https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds?date=2024-08-05&dateDelta= |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.fangraphs.com}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=MLB Playoff Odds - coolstandings.com |url=http://www.coolstandings.com/baseball_standings.asp?col=&sort=&sim=s&v=d&sn=1973&run=14090 |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.coolstandings.com}}</ref>

=== Recap ===

[[File:ZachDeLoach.jpg|alt=Chicago White Sox player Zach DeLoach in uniform|thumb|[[Chicago White Sox]] player [[Zach DeLoach]]|left]]

The September 27 game remained scoreless through the first four innings, with both teams' starting pitchers performing effectively. The Tigers' broke the deadlock in the bottom of the 5th inning, with [[Jake Rogers]] scoring from third base on a [[wild pitch]] thrown by [[Jared Shuster]]. [[Matt Vierling]] hit a sacrifice fly two pitches later, scoring [[Parker Meadows]] to put Detroit up 2–0.<ref name="Recap">{{Cite web |title=Tigers clinch AL wild card, ending playoff drought with 4-1 win over record-breaking White Sox|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/401570855|access-date=September 28, 2024|work=ESPN |language=en|date=September 27, 2024|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

The White Sox responded in the top of the 6th inning, with [[Zach DeLoach]] hit a 401-foot [[home run]] to right field, the first of his major league career, to cut the lead to 2–1. The Tigers extended their lead in the bottom of the 7th, when [[Andy Ibáñez]] led off with a double to right-center and reached third base due to a [[Error (baseball)|fielding error]] by [[center fielder]] [[Dominic Fletcher]].<ref name="Recap" />

[[Riley Greene]] hit a 412-foot double, scoring Ibáñez and extending Detroit's lead to 3–1. Later in the inning, another wild pitch thrown by [[Fraser Ellard]] scored Vierling, pushing Detroit's lead to 4–1.<ref name="Recap"/>

Detroit relied entirely on their bullpen for pitching, with multiple relievers combining to effectively limit the White Sox to a single run. After Brett Hanifee started the game, rookie [[Brant Hurter]] was credited with the win after pitching four innings, while back end relievers [[Tyler Holton]], [[Will Vest]], and [[Jason Foley]] pitched the late innings, with Foley picking up his 28th save of the season.<ref name="Recap" />

The game's final out came when [[Andrew Vaughn]] flied out to right fielder [[Wenceel Perez]] (who bumped into Meadows and fell as he made the catch) to end the game, send the Detroit crowd into a frenzy, and seal the White Sox fate in the history books.<ref name="Recap"/>

Interim White Sox manager Grady Sizemore stated that the season was "not the year we wanted" following the game,<ref name="WhiteSoxRecap"/> and expressed that while he began to grow frustrated well before the team was close to the loss record he stated that he was not sure if he would feel different if he had lost only 115 or 110 games instead.<ref name="Recap"/><ref name="WhiteSoxRecap">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41481495/white-sox-fall-tigers-mlb-record-121st-loss-season|title=White Sox fall to Tigers for MLB-record 121st loss of season|date=September 27, 2024|accessdate=September 27, 2024|work=ESPN|first=Jesse|last=Rogers}}</ref> Pitcher [[Garrett Crochet]] remarked on the record: "Obviously it sucks." and that "We put ourselves in this position early on. We are where we are because of the way we played. But that's just all it is."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=September 28, 2024|title=White Sox suffer record 121st defeat of season|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/baseball/articles/c8703yv7094o |access-date=September 28, 2024|website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="WhiteSoxRecap"/>

Following the game, the official Chicago White Sox [[Twitter]] page posted an image of a computer containing a list of "Things we'd rather do than read comments" as well as an image of the [[List of Major League Baseball mascots|White Sox mascot]] huddled in a dark corner captioned "slams laptop shut 'til tomorrow".<ref name=":4" /> Several White Sox fans posted derogatory and sarcastic images and comments mocking the team for making history with their loss record following the game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Andrew |title=White Sox Lose 121st Game to Break Modern MLB Record; Fans Troll Team's Historic Loss |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10137068-white-sox-lose-121st-game-to-break-modern-mlb-record-fans-troll-teams-historic-loss |access-date=September 28, 2024|website=Bleacher Report |language=en|date=September 27, 2024}}</ref>

=== Line score ===

{{Linescore|visitor='''[[Chicago White Sox]]'''|top1=0|top2=0|top3=0|top4=0|top5=0|top6=1|top7=0|top8=0|top9=0|visitor_r=1|visitor_h=3|visitor_e=1|home=[[Detroit Tigers]]|bot1=0|bot2=0|bot3=0|bot4=0|bot5=2|bot6=0|bot7=2|bot8=0|bot9=–|home_r=4|home_h=8|home_e=0|RoadHR=[[Zach DeLoach]] (1)}}

==Roster==