CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox averted a record-breaking loss for the third straight day, beating the Los Angeles Angels 7-0 on Thursday behind Chris Flexen’s sharp pitching performance.
Chicago improved to 39-120 with its three-game sweep of Los Angeles. It has been tied with the 1962 New York Mets for the modern major league record for losses since Sunday’s 4-2 setback at San Diego.
“We’ve played really good baseball these last three games, so it’s really good to see,” first baseman Andrew Vaughn said.
The White Sox finished their home schedule with a 23-58 record. They have three games left this weekend against the Detroit Tigers, who are in the mix for an AL wild card.
“I think guys are excited after this series,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “It’s going to be a fun atmosphere there. These guys are playing for (the) postseason. We’re going there to compete and not make it easy and try to get wins and try to just keep going.”
Flexen (3-15) struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings in his first win since May 8. The right-hander was winless in his previous 23 starts, a franchise record.
Flexen was cheered by the crowd of 15,678 when he departed on a sunny afternoon.
“It was awesome,” Flexen said, “especially after the last couple nights, hearing some boos after winning a game. It’s been tough, but to have a real ovation there was pretty special.”
Los Angeles dropped to 63-96 to set a franchise record for losses in a season. It went 1-6 on its final trip to finish with a 31-50 road record - the most road losses for the team since it went 27-53 in 1996.
“I haven’t processed anything yet,” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said. “It’s pretty sickening, going in the spring and expecting things to turn around, and then it happens. We’ve got a good group in here, and it doesn’t feel like what the record shows, but the record is what it is.”
The Angels had six hits - five off Flexen. They managed just five runs and 19 hits in the series at Chicago.
The White Sox put it away with a season-high seven runs in the fifth inning, helped by an error on shortstop Jack López. Vaughn hit a two-run single, and Lenyn Sosa doubled home two more runs.
“It was just a great inning,” Sizemore said. “Guys put together good at-bats. I thought we got the big hit when we needed it.”
López moved from second base to shortstop after Zach Neto departed because of right shoulder irritation. Neto got hurt when he tried to take second on a pitch in the dirt in the fourth.
“I was sliding and I felt a little discomfort, but everything is fine,” Neto said.
Vaughn had three of Chicago’s 12 hits. Sosa, Zach DeLoach and Dominic Fletcher each had two.
Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson (10-15) permitted five runs, four earned, and four hits in 4 1/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: 1B Nolan Schanuel got the day off after he fouled a ball off his right leg in the first inning of Wednesday night’s loss. Manager Ron Washington said Schanuel could play this weekend. “He’s moving around better,” Washington said. “We’ll see where he is when we get back to Anaheim.”
UP NEXT
Angels: LHP Reid Detmers (4-8, 6.67 ERA) takes the mound on Friday night against Texas. RHP Jacob deGrom (0-0, 1.35 ERA) goes for the visiting Rangers.
White Sox: Garrett Crochet (6-12, 3.68 ERA) starts on Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Detroit. The All-Star left-hander has a career-high 203 strikeouts in 142 innings.
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