White Sox losing streak hits 20 after sweep by Twins

MINNEAPOLIS — And then there were 20.

Falling behind by eight runs in the first two innings, and despite chipping away with five or more runs for the first time during their franchise record run for futility, the White Sox ran their losing streak to 20 Sunday with a 13-7 loss to the Twins at Target Field.

Welcome to the abhorring 20s.

With the defeat, their 23^rd in the last 24 games, the Sox are a three-game series sweep against the Oakland Athletics from tying the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies record of 23 straight losses in modern history.

They would be a loss to the Cubs on Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field from breaking the record, should the A’s win out in Oakland on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Sox who fell to 60 games below .500 at 27-87, have been swept 18 times. They've been swept in six consecutive series.

With Sunday’s result, they join the 1906 Boston Americans, the 1916 and 1943 Philadelphia Athletics and the expansion 1969 Montreal Expos with the third-longest streaks in history. The 1988 Baltimore Orioles have the second longest skein with 21 in a row, the American League record.

The Sox are on pace for 123.6 losses, ahead of the expansion 1962 Mets record for most losses (120) in a season.

The Twins (62-48) handed the Sox their 18^th series sweep of the season and made it look inevitable early on by scoring two runs in the first inning and six in the second.

The Sox rank last in the majors in runs and multiple other categories, and broke out offensively with 12 hits, including two doubles and a single from Andrew Vaughn.

Right-hander Chris Flexen couldn’t finish the second inning, charged with eight runs (six earned) on three walks and seven hits, one of them a fly ball dropping near Andrew Benintendi’s feet near the left-field line. Rookie second baseman Brooks Baldwin, who had three hits and a walk a day after hitting his first career homer, made a fielding error on a ground ball resulting in two unearned runs and more pitches for Flexen, who fell to 2-11 with a 5.53 ERA and is winless in 16 straight starts.

"It's the thing we keep bringing up every day after another tough loss, but we just gotta find a way to pull forward and plug through,” Flexen said.

"Obviously, we get evaluated on results and [my] results were pretty miserable.”

Balls deflected off gloves of Robert and Baldwin (on the throw in from Robert) on Matt Wallner’s triple in the second, and off the top of shortstop Nicky Lopez’s glove on Christian Vazquez’ smashed liner in the Twins’ two-run seventh before a run scored on a catcher Korey Lee’s passed ball.

The Sox are 1-12 against the Twins.

Bush expected to start Monday

Left-hander Ky Bush is expected to be called up from Triple-A Charlotte for his major league debut when the Sox face the Athletics in Oakland.

The 6-6, 200-pound lefty posted a 2.12 ERA at Double-A Birmingham and has a 6.16 ERA in four games, including two starts, since his promotion to Triple-A Charlotte.

He was acquired from the Angels for Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo at last year's trade deadline.

SOX AT ATHLETICS

Monday: Ky Bush (MLB debut) vs. JP Spears (8-8, 4.53 ERA), 8:40 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

Tuesday: Jonathan Cannon (1-5, 4.11) vs. Ross Stripling (2-10, 5.64), 8:40 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

Wednesday: Davis Martin (0-1, 7.11) vs. Joey Estes (5-4, 4.77), 2:37 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM