Losing streak at 11, total losses at 108: Defeats keeping mounting for hapless White Sox

BALTIMORE — The losing streak is at 11.

The loss count is at 108 — another step closer to the 1962 Mets’ record of 120 defeats in a season.

The only good thing for the White Sox is that this historic season is a day closer to the end.

But their 13-3 loss Monday to the Orioles came 27 days and 23 games short of the season finale Sept. 29 in Detroit. The Sox (31-108) must finish 12-11 to avoid 120 losses, a herculean task for
a team that lost for the 41st time in its last 45 games.

This one started as many of the Sox’ losses often do — with them taking an early lead. A sacrifice fly by Andrew Benintendi and an RBI single by Gavin Sheets in the first inning against right-hander Corbin Burnes, who had struggled of late but didn’t against the Sox, gave them a 2-0 lead.

Jacob Amaya and Nicky Lopez struck out with a runner on third in the second and Korey Lee hit into a double play with runners at the corners in the third, chances wasted for the lowest-scoring offense in the majors.

The Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson led off the first with a home run against right-hander Chris Flexen (2-14, 5.36 ERA), who made his 26th start but hasn’t won since May 8. With 34 homers, Henderson tied Cal Ripken Jr. (1991) and Miguel Tejada (2004) for the most in a season by an Orioles shortstop.

The Orioles (80-59) took the lead for good in the third, and a throwing error to second by reliever Fraser Ellard in the fifth led to two unearned runs.

Interim manager Grady Sizemore, who is 3-19 since taking over for fired Pedro Grifol, said before the game that he welcomed the challenge of playing playoff-bound teams because it ‘‘forces us to play our best ball and see what we’re made of.’’

After the game, Sizemore acknowledged: ‘‘We didn’t take care of the ball. We were sloppy. We have to be better, especially against this team. Not our best effort.’’

‘‘There’s definitely worse losses than others,’’ said Sheets, whose nine multihit games since Aug. 7 are tied for the second-most in the American League. ‘‘Today was a bad loss. We didn’t play good baseball. Losses are losses, but ones like these sting a little more.’’

Wrong kind of history

Flexen set a major-league record for the most starts by a pitcher without winning, failing to collect a victory for the 20th start in a row. He had been tied with former Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano, whose 19-game streak in 2007-10 included a period on the injured list because of Tommy John surgery.

Flexen needed 95 pitches to get through 3⅓ innings, although he managed to hold the Orioles to three runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out five.

Flexen is 0-10 during his winless stretch, and the Sox are 2-24 in his starts this season.

‘‘A couple of quality starts in there, but overall my performance has been very disappointing on my end,’’ Flexen said.

This and that

Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. and first baseman Andrew Vaughn were given full days off, with Sizemore excusing them from batting practice and pregame work.

Robert, who was out for two months with a torn hip flexor early in the season, wanted to play but had played in 16 of the last 17 games. Vaughn, who leads the team with 127 games played, is hitless in his last 24 at-bats.

• Rookie infielder Brooks Baldwin, who hasn’t played since last Tuesday because of a sore right hand, might return to the lineup Tuesday.