DETROIT (AP) — Lenyn Sosa hit a three-run homer in the third inning to give the Chicago White Sox a five-run lead as they went on to beat the playoff-bound Detroit Tigers 9-5 on Sunday. Kerry Carpenter's grand slam in the fifth inning pulled Detroit within a run, but it couldn't get closer. Bryan Ramos' two-run single in a four-run seventh inning restored Chicago's comfortable cushion.
Detroit earned an American League wild card with a win over the White Sox on Friday night to end a decade-long playoff drought and will play at Houston on Tuesday. The Tigers finished 86-76, an eight-game improvement over last year, for their first winning season since 2016. The White Sox wrapped up with 121 losses, breaking the post-1900 record of most losses held for more than a half-century by the 1962 New York Mets.
The overall record for setbacks was set in 1899 by the Cleveland Spiders with a 20-134 record. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf called the season “embarrassing” and a “failure” and took responsibility in a letter issued to fans during the game. Chicago won 41 games — 20 fewer than last season — after ending with five wins in six games for the team's best stretch of success since early May.
The White Sox fired manager Pedro Grifol in early August and promoted Grady Sizemore to interim manager. Jonathan Cannon (5-10) allowed four runs on four hits and three walks over five innings when Chicago's season mercifully came to a close. Kenta Maeda (3-7) gave up five runs on.