Chicago White Sox Swept Again By Pittsburgh Pirates, Tying Brutal MLB Record

The Chicago White Sox dropped Sunday's series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, falling victim to a record-tying 13th sweep before the All-Star break.

Jul 14, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Jared Shuster (51) leaves a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. | Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Just when it seemed like things couldn't get any worse, the Chicago White Sox found new lows to stoop to.

The White Sox lost their series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, falling 9-4. Chicago was down 4-3 through six, still in a decent position to avoid the sweep, but Pittsburgh's four-run seventh inning killed all hopes of a comeback.

It marked the 13th time this season that the White Sox had been swept in a series.

According to OptaSTATS, that ties the record for most sweeps by a single team prior to the All-Star break, minimum two games in a series. The 2018 Baltimore Orioles are the only other team to achieve the unsavory feat.

The Orioles were 28-69 at the break that year, and they went on to finish 47-115. The White Sox are currently 27-71, putting them on pace for the eight-worst record in MLB history.

The White Sox have been swept in a series for the 13th time this season. That ties the 2018 Orioles for the most times swept by a team prior to the All-Star break (min. 2 games in series). pic.twitter.com/v9lNpRw277

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 14, 2024

It's been a bumpy ride since the very start of the season for the 2024 White Sox, who opened the year 3-22. They broke the MLB record for longest streak without drawing an intentional walk, showing just how little fear Chicago's lineup strikes into opposing pitching staffs and managers.

Luis Robert Jr., who has missed 53 games this year, is the White Sox's only active player with a season OPS over .707. Andrew Benintendi went 3-for-4 with a home run on Sunday, and he is still only batting .201 with a .569 OPS.

All-Star starting pitcher Garrett Crochet has been one of the few bright spots, as has free agent addition Erick Fedde. But even including those two starters, Chicago boasts the second-worst ERA in the American League at 4.57.

The White Sox will hit the road to face the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers on the other end of the All-Star break. Both teams are fighting for Wild Card spots, while Chicago essentially has been out of contention since April.

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