ANAHEIM, Calif. — Andrew Benintendi hit two home runs and scored four runs for the third time this season, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 8-4 on Monday night, snapping their first three-game winning streak in nearly three months.
“He’s been fun to watch. He’s in a good spot right now,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said of Benintendi, who hit 6 of 12 with three home runs and six RBIs during the winning streak. “He can do it against right-handed and left-handed hitters. He’s there for us.”
It’s just the fourth time the White Sox have won at least three games in a row — and the first since June 27-29, when they beat Atlanta and Colorado. Chicago won two of three games against Oakland over the weekend, ending a streak of 20 straight losses.
On Tuesday night, Chicago will try to match its season-high four straight wins, which the team achieved from May 8-11 against Tampa Bay and Cleveland.
“The wins were hard to come by, so when you get one, you’re happy. When you get two in a row, it’s even better,” Sizemore said. “It was a good atmosphere in the dugout. The guys are happy right now.”
The White Sox are 36-115 with 11 games remaining, trying to avoid the record of 120 losses set by the New York Mets, who joined the team in 1962. Chicago has a 16-57 road record, a far cry from the 65-loss mark set by the 1935 Boston Braves, who lost consecutive games for the first time in 1900.
“We’re here every day, playing our best baseball, one day at a time. I’m not worried about the future,” said first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who had two hits and scored two runs.
The White Sox took a 3-0 lead in the first inning when the teams with the worst records in the American League met. Benintendi hit a two-run shot to right field against Angels starter Reid Detmers (4-7). Two pitches later, Vaughn slammed a fastball over the wall in left-center field.
It was the fifth time the White Sox hit two home runs in a row, but the first since June 13 in Seattle.
In the second inning, Benintendi’s grounder brought home Zach DeLoach to make it 5-0. The left fielder hit his team-high 19th home run with a solo hit to right-center field in the seventh inning.
Lenyn Sosa also hit a home run for the White Sox to open the third inning, extending their lead to 7-1.
Rookie Jonathan Cannon (4-10) pitched 6 2/3 innings and earned his second win in three starts in September. The right-hander set a season-high seven strikeouts and allowed four runs and three hits.
The Angels have lost six games in a row despite Eric Wagaman’s first major league home run. Charles Leblanc also had a solo home run.
Los Angeles suffered its 90th loss in 150 games, a mark not reached so quickly in franchise history.
After 10 consecutive losing seasons, the Angels are trying to avoid the most losses in franchise history in Ron Washington’s first year as manager. The record is 95 losses, set in 1968 and 1980.
“You could see the body language out there. He had no sense of the things he wanted to do, and when it didn’t happen, he didn’t stay focused and try to make it happen. It looked like he just gave in,” Washington said of Detmers, who allowed seven runs in 5 1/3 innings.
TRAINING ROOM
White Sox: 3B Yoán Moncada was activated from the 60-day injured list. He had been on the injured list since April 10 with a strained left adductor muscle.
Angels: CF Mike Trout (left knee) said he would consider a position change next season. … 2B Michael Stefanic (right calf tightness), 2B Brandon Drury (left thigh tightness) and OF Mickey Moniak (left hand) were not in the lineup.
Next
White Sox RHP Davis Martin (0-4, 4.14 ERA) makes his ninth start and 10th appearance of the season. Angels RHP Griffin Canning (5-13, 5.35 ERA) is trying to rebound after allowing 10 runs (nine earned) in 5 2/3 innings at Minnesota on Sept. 10.
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