DETROIT (AP) — The Chicago White Sox lost their post-1900s, major league-record 121st game Friday night, falling 4-1 to the Detroit Tigers. The White Sox broke record of 120 set by the New York Mets in 1962 in their first season. The overall record was set in 1899 by the Cleveland Spiders with a 20-134 record.
The closest any team had come to New York's record was the 2003 Tigers, who won their final two games to finish with 119 losses. That remained the American League record until the White Sox hit 120 on Sunday in San Diego. After avoiding the record by sweeping the Los Angeles Angels at home, the White Sox lost to a Tigers team that wrapped up a postseason spot in front of 44,435 raucous fans.
Starter Garrett Crochet gave them a chance, finishing his season with four shutout innings, but the White Sox couldn't score early and Jared Shuster gave up two runs in the fifth. Zach DeLoach hit his first homer in the sixth, but Dominic Fletcher's error in center field led to two more Tigers runs in the seventh. The White Sox, who are last in the American League in runs scored and runs allowed, have threatened the 120-loss barrier since starting the season with 25 losses in their first 28 games.
Chicago was 15-48 after losing 14-2 to the Red Sox on June 6 — the Mets were 17-46 after 63 games — but won the next two games to start an 11-16 run. That left them at 26-64, two games better than New York's record after 90 games. At that point, it looked as if they could avoid match.