The White Sox dug in against becoming the outright worst team in major-league history for a second consecutive night.
And, once again, they prevailed, walking off the Angels 4-3 in the 10th inning on Andrew Benintendi’s one-out line single to left off lefty Jose Quijada that scored free runner Miguel Vargas.
“Guys aren’t going to pack it in,” Benintendi said.
This time, there were slightly more Sox fans — some for and some against — to potentially witness history. And no one booed when the Sox won.
At 38-120, the Sox have four games left to break the 1962 Mets’ record for losses, and they quietly and privately hold out hope for an improbable six-game winning streak to avoid it. They can sweep the Angels with a win Thursday afternoon. A three-game series at Detroit this weekend closes out the season.
“If we swept the final series of the year that would be — not funny — but it kind of gives us all a chuckle,” said Benintendi, who had his third game-ending hit of the season and second game-winning hit in as many nights.
On the night before, the Sox came from behind to top the Angels but suffered the indignity of getting booed at home during the victorious handshake line. Many fans, frustrated and unhappy with ownership and management after seeing a 101-loss season in 2023 followed by the catastrophe of 2024, vented with “sell the team” chants and boos.
The paid crowd of 18,423, waiting in lines to enjoy discounted beer on a fan-appreciation night in this last home series for the Sox, was more mellow Wednesday, although many were heard shouting, “121!” when the Angels tied the score on a two-run single by Taylor Ward off reliever Michael Soroka in the fourth inning and “sell the team” while reliever Justin Anderson protected a 3-2 lead in the eighth. Later, there was stronger uncouth language directed at chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
Catcher Korey Lee’s two-run homer in the second off Jose Suarez had given the Sox a 2-0 lead. Second baseman Lenyn Sosa’s solo poke in the fourth broke a 2-2 tie. Angels second baseman Michael Stefanic’s squeeze bunt in the eighth tied it at 3.
Most of the crowd stayed to the finish, and, unlike Tuesday, no boos were heard during the handshake line.
“You can’t focus on it,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “We know they’re frustrated, but when you’re in that moment, you’re just trying to block that negative stuff out and focus on the game and what you can do to help the team win. We’re professionals. We’re not going to let anything rattle us.”
Early on, fans were understandably irked after Luis Robert Jr. doubled in the first and was wisely held at third by third-base coach Justin Jirschele on Benintendi’s hard-hit single but watched Benintendi run into an out at second.
The Angels (63-95) were worse on the bases as shortstop Zach Neto ran into two outs in the first three innings.
The Sox played an errorless game, however, and turned three double plays in the last four innings, including the 10th, when substitute shortstop Nicky Lopez made a high-hop stop on his backhand to help Jared Shuster out of a first-and-second, no-out pickle.
The Sox have won four consecutive home games.
“We have a great camaraderie in here, and we want to see each other succeed,” starter Davis Martin said. “To be able to come in here and dance and party together, it’s been a lot of fun.”
As for those wanting to see history rather than a Sox victory?
“Wait one more day,” Benintendi said. “Maybe.”
