White Sox tie ’62 Mets for most losses since 1900
SAN DIEGO — The Chicago White Sox had a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the eighth inning on Sunday, and then history struck.
That tenuous lead disappeared in the span of four San Diego Padres batters, and the White Sox went on to their 120th loss, tying the post-1900 record set by the 1962 expansion New York Mets.
The dichotomy couldn’t have been greater.
The White Sox headed to a somber clubhouse and quietly packed for their flight home.
The Padres, who are closing in on a postseason berth, gathered in front of their dugout to applaud the sellout crowd of 45,197 that roared through the bottom of the eighth and then the top of the ninth of the 4-2 win in their regular-season home finale on the brilliant first day of autumn. Some fans even chanted “Beat L.A.!” in anticipation of a huge series starting Tuesday night at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I guess when you lose 120 it’s easier to brush it off but it [stinks] to go through it, but that’s where we’re at,” veteran White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi said.
There had been hope for the White Sox to at least delay the historic loss, until there wasn’t. Right-hander Sean Burke, making just his second big league start — and third appearance — was outstanding through six innings. The White Sox took their lead on two home runs off Yu Darvish, including one by Korey Lee, who grew up in northern San Diego County.
“Burke threw a hell of a game,” Benintendi said. “They’ve got a lot of good bats up and down that lineup, guys that have played a long time, and once they get the lead with that bullpen, it seems like it’s pretty much over at this point.
“So yes, it [stinks].”
So many of the White Sox’s losses have come late in games.
“Yeah, we joke about it all the time. It never seems like we get blown out, and the seventh, eighth and ninth come around and we’re facing their seven-eight-nine-inning guys every night, which is big. It’s hard to score runs off the back ends of the bullpen,” Benintendi said.
“It seems like we have been here a lot of times and it just hasn’t panned out.”
With one more loss in their final six games, the White Sox will hold the modern-day record outright. They finish with three at home against the Los Angeles Angels beginning Tuesday night and finish with three at Detroit, which is in the AL wild-card hunt.
The 1899 Cleveland Spiders hold the major league record for losses at 20-134.
Interim manager Grady Sizemore didn’t address the team afterward.
“No loss is good,” he said. “It’s not something that we’re focused on. I think everyone outside this clubhouse is more obsessed with it than us. The way we spin is to put this one behind us and get ready for the series back home.”
Asked how his players were digesting it, Sizemore said: “We all know the situation. We know where we are at. We have a job to do and they are still playing for something. They have handled it like professionals and we will be back out there on Tuesday ready to go and give it our best.”
Said Lee: “I think if you ask all 50 guys or so [who have been on the roster this season] we are not going to be happy about it. If you’re happy about it, I don’t know what you are doing here.
“I think it’s obviously hard, but at the same time everyone is coming in here every day and giving their best.”
The catcher said the team has stayed together through all the losing.
“It shows you how close we are. We talked about it earlier today. Honestly, that is what I look forward to every day when I come in here is having the guy right next to me and knowing he is going to care for me, inside and out, on the field and off the field.
“That is all you can ask for. It’s good family around us. Obviously there is a lot of bad, but you have to take the good out of every day. And the good is coming in here with this group of guys and doing the thing we all love to do.”
The White Sox had tied the AL record of 119 losses by the 2003 Detroit Tigers on Saturday night. They lost their 20th straight road series and were swept for the 24th time this season.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is not expected to play against Mississippi State on Saturday, per sources, as the Longhorns staff is expected to sit him out in order for him to be fully healthy for the game against Oklahoma on Oct. 12.
A final decision on Ewers is expected later Saturday, per sources, but the decision is trending toward allowing him to use Texas’ week off following the Mississippi State game to get healthy. Ewers has been considered week-to-week since injuring his oblique against UTSA on Sept. 14.
Ewers finished the week at nearly 70%, as he practiced Tuesday, was limited Wednesday and ended up limited in practice Thursday to allow him to fully heal. Per sources, the Texas coaching staff wanted to give Ewers the extra rest to ensure he’d return at full strength.
The decision means that Texas will against start backup quarterback Arch Manning, who will make his first career start in an SEC game. Manning made his first start against Louisiana Monroe, completing 15 of 29 passes for 258 yards. He had two touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Ewers’ oblique injury came in the wake of him displaying one of the season’s best performances at Michigan in Week 2, as he threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout Texas win in Ann Arbor.
Mississippi State enters the game on a three-game losing streak, which includes back-to-back blowout home losses to Toledo and Florida. The Bulldogs are trending toward finishing at the bottom of the SEC, as they have one of the country’s worst defenses. They are No. 111 nationally in total defense and No. 107 in scoring defense.
Mississippi State will also be without its starting quarterback, as starter Blake Shapen is out for the year after suffering a shoulder injury against Florida. Michael Van Buren, a true freshman, will make his first career start for the Bulldogs.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams is a “true game-time decision” for the No. 2 Bulldogs at No. 4 Alabama on Saturday night, according to ESPN sources.
Williams has missed the previous two games with a Grade 2 ankle sprain, which he suffered against Clemson in the opener. He’ll be evaluated in pregame warmups and a decision will be made on his status.
Williams has been limited in practice this week, and it’s expected that if he does play it’ll be at less than 100 percent. He’s also unlikely to play a heavy snap count if he does play, as he’s working his way back.
Williams is a marauding defensive end who is the best player in Georgia’s front seven and is a high-end NFL prospect. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him ranked No. 4 overall player for the 2025 NFL draft.
Williams started the season hot before injuring his ankle against Clemson, as he had two tackles for loss and three quarterback pressures in that game.
They will be an onus on Georgia’s defensive line, especially on the ends, to help slow Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in Tuscaloosa.
Georgia’s defensive line will benefit from the return of senior Warren Brinson, who is listed as probable after missing the past two games. Sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Hall is questionable for the SEC showdown.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Utah quarterback Cam Rising, who has been snakebit by injuries the past two years, is again expected to be a game-time decision against Arizona on Saturday night, sources told ESPN.
Rising has missed No. 10 Utah’s past two games after an injury to his throwing hand that he suffered against Baylor on Sept. 7. He missed all of last season after an ACL tear in the Rose Bowl following the 2022 season.
Rising’s status will undergo the same evaluation process with the Utah staff as before the Oklahoma State game last week. He’ll throw the ball pregame, and his ability to deliver spin and velocity on the ball will determine whether he’ll play, per sources.
As Rising has struggled to recover and get back on the field, one factor that could weigh into the decision is the chance to get him back fully healthy in two weeks. Utah has a bye before they play at Arizona State on Oct. 11.
Rising has practiced this week but remained limited as the staff has attempted to rest his finger.
Freshman Isaac Wilson has started the past two weeks, leading the Utes to victories over Utah State in Logan and in Stillwater against the Cowboys.
Wilson has shown both moments of promise and interspersed those with moments that have illuminated his youth. He threw for 207 yards on 17-of-29 passing against Oklahoma State. He also threw two interceptions. He threw for three touchdowns and 239 yards against Utah State.
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