Vinnie Pasquantino delivered a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth and Michael Wacha pitched seven strong innings as the visiting Kansas City Royals defeated the White Sox 4-3 on Tuesday, extending Chicago’s losing streak to a franchise-record 16 games.
The White Sox previously lost 15 in a row spanning the end of the 1967 season and the start of the 1968 season. Their worst longest single-season skid had been 14 games — set earlier this year.
A beleaguered bullpen kept Chicago from picking up its first victory since July 10 after a frustrating sequence resembling Monday’s series opener.
White Sox rookie Jonathan Cannon pitched seven innings of one-run ball and had a 2-1 lead when Fraser Ellard entered in the eighth to make his major league debut. Ellard (0-1) walked two of the three Royals he faced and tossed a wild pitch before giving way to Justin Anderson.
Bobby Witt Jr. greeted Anderson with a game-tying RBI single to center. Pasquantino punctuated the rally with a two-run single to left one batter later.
Sam Long struck out two in a perfect ninth for his first save of the season. The Royals prevailed despite getting out-hit 7-4.
Kansas City got its lone run and hit against Cannon when Michael Massey sent a solo shot to center field with two outs in the third inning. Cannon spaced two strikeouts and three walks while throwing 59 of his 94 pitches for strikes.
Wacha (8-6) limited Chicago to two runs and five hits while walking two and striking out five. He has worked 27 innings over four starts against the White Sox this season, going 3-1 with a 1.33 ERA.
Chicago’s Nicky Lopez led off the first inning with a standup triple and scored on a Wacha wild pitch. After Massey’s long ball in the third, Andrew Vaughn gave Chicago a 2-1 lead with a solo homer in the fourth, his second blast in as many nights.
The White Sox drew to within the final margin in the bottom of the eighth when Vaughn drove in his second run of the night on a groundout. Lopez and teammate Nick Senzel had two hits each.
Chicago lost 14 straight from May 22 to June 6. The White Sox appeared primed to stop their latest lengthy skid at that number on Monday against Kansas City, as they held a three-run lead after seven innings before surrendering six runs in the eighth.
The Royals are 11-1 against the White Sox this season.
–Field Level Media
