Houston Astros 4, Chicago White Sox 1: same old, same old

The White Sox missed another opportunity to earn a series victory by losing to the Houston Astros tonight, 4-1. Their last series victory was over a month ago, when they won three of four games against Cleveland.

You know, it was a quiet night when Chicago social media was posting about butterflies on helmets.

Shots were king tonight, as both teams’ starters gave their clubs a chance to earn a victory. Garrett Crochet typically uses a four-pitch mix, but his offspeed stuff wasn’t playing today, and he threw his four-seamer and cutter on 94% of his throws. As a result, it wasn’t the southpaw’s best outing, but it wasn’t his worst either. I guess you can’t always be brilliant, but finding a way to compete when you don’t have your best assets is a quality I’ll take any day. Seems like a guy you could build a winning team around rather than trading away, huh?

The left-hander kept his pitch count low, struck out eight and allowed three runs on nine hits with just one walk. He got a quality start and kept the Good Guys in the game, but unfortunately the anemic White Sox offense let his ace dry.

Hunter Brown continued his dominance in June, allowing just one run on seven hits, including six singles. He saw his 16+1⁄2 inning scoreless streak broken in the bottom of the fourth when Andrew Benintendi launched a solo jack. And that’s all she wrote for the Pale Hose offense.

The Sox tried to shake things up in the bottom of the fifth after singles by Korey Lee and Tommy Pham. With runners on first and third and one out, Gavin Sheets killed the rally and grounded into a double play. Then, in the sixth, Luis Robert Jr. led off with a single and stole second, but his teammates wasted their efforts and left him stranded.

Justin Anderson came on in relief of Hook in the seventh and, despite giving up a single to Houston villain José Altuve and a double to Yainer Díaz, he got out of the inning unscathed. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Steven Wilson, who allowed a run in the top of the eighth, giving the Astros a 4-1 advantage they ultimately wouldn’t need.

Houston closer Josh Hader entered the game in the ninth, got his 10th save and took down the Pale Hose without much of a fight. With one out, Paul DeJong hit a line drive single to center, but it stayed there. The Astros win and the Sox lose again. The team falls to 20-55, 27 games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians. It was the 21st time in 75 games that the White Sox were held to just one run.

Futility Watch

White Sox Record 2024 20-55, worst 75-game start in White Sox history (4 1⁄2 games ahead of next worst, 1948 White Sox) and 35 worst season games worse than .500
2024 White Sox Run Differential -156, tied for the 29th worst start in 75 games in history and worst mark of the season
White Sox record 2024 season pace 43-119 (.267)
Race to worst “modern” record of 162 games (Tigres 2003, 43-119) RELATED
Race to worst “modern” record in a 162-game season (1962 Dishes40-120) 2 games behind
Race to most White Sox losses (1970, 106) 13 matches to come
Race to Worst White Sox Record (1932, 52-109-1*) 9 1⁄2 upcoming matches
Race to worst American League record (1916 A, 38-124*) 5 games behind
*adjusted record for a 162-game season