With 21-game losing streak and Grifol in rearview mirror, attention on White Sox returns to '62 Mets

About that record.

You know, that of the 1962 Mets.

It got brushed to the side while the White Sox were captivating a national audience with a horrendous 21-game losing streak, tying the 1988 Baltimore Orioles’ American League record Monday in Oakland but falling two games short of the 1961 Phillies all-time mark.

And then the Sox fired manager Pedro Grifol Thursday, leaving the Mets’ mark of 120 losses for interim manager Grady Sizemore to avoid.

The audience will begin gathering again in late September, if and when the Sox close in.

The Sox were on pace for 123 losses going into Friday night’s game against the Cubs, and then, with All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet allowing four homers and falling behind 7-0, the pace was picking up.

“I don’t think anyone in this organization wants to be associated to have a record we could potentially have,” general manager Chris Getz said Friday. “That being said, that hasn’t been our highest priority.”

If it was, Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham wouldn’t have been traded.

“We did that for the long-term health of the organization to put us in a position for the future. ... although we want to avoid that record, it wasn’t at all costs," Getz said.

Getz is rebuilding, and “long-term” looks exceptionally long right now. Getz’ message to Sox fans with long looks on their faces?

“We look forward to tonight, playing the Cubs,” he said. “It’s a unique energy that’s in our stadium. We’re going to go out there, and fight hard. There will be better days ahead. I know it’s grueling right now, but we’re determined to do this as quickly as we can but we don’t want to take shortcuts, either. The short cuts don’t lead to something that’s long lasting. When we get this to where it needs to be, although there were struggles along the way it can be special for a lot of people when we accomplish something great.”

Crochet KO'd

Left-hander Garrett Crochet lasted 2 1/3 innings, allowing seven earned runs on nine hits including four homers and a triple but walking none and striking out five. He threw 67 pitches, 47 for strikes before being replaced by Sizemore in favor of Touki Toussaint.

Isaac Paredes and Nico Hoerner hit consecutive homers in the third.

How many more starts Crochet makes as the Sox monitor his workload in his first full season as a starter is not known. What is known is Crochet's performance since he pitched a scoreless inning for the American League in the All-Star Game looks like this: 13 1/3 innings, 13 earned runs, 20 hits, 20 strikeouts, seven walks.

Crochet's velocity against the Cubs topped out at 97.6 mph. While not allowing a walk, Crochet threw a pitch behind Bellinger in the at-bat after the home run but also threw a pitch in the same location through the left-handed batter's box to right-handed hitting Hoerner.

Benintendi day

Left fielder Andrew Benintendi threw out Pete Crow-Armstrong at home and homered in his third consecutive game for the third time in his career, both in the fifth inning. Benintendi homered in his next at-bat against lefty Drew Smyly and has five homers in his last five games, cutting the Cubs lead to 7-5.

Andrew Vaughn homered in a four-run Cubs fourth that made it 7-4.