SAN DIEGO – The Chicago White Sox tied the 1962-inducted New York Mets’ MLB record of 120 losses since 1900 on Sunday when they beat the San Diego Padres 4-2, scoring three runs in the eighth inning and capped by Fernando Tatis Jr.’s massive home run.
The White Sox (36-120) had taken a 2-1 lead thanks to home runs by Korey Lee and Miguel Vargas against Yu Darvish, but that lead quickly disappeared in the eighth inning.
This loss came one day after the White Sox tied the American League record of 119 losses set by the Detroit Tigers in 2003.
The 1899 Cleveland Spiders hold the major league losing record at 20-134.
The Padres (90-66) achieved their first 90-win season since 2010, when they finished 90-72, but missed the postseason due to a brutal September slump.
The Padres reduced their magic number to one, securing their third postseason berth since 2020.
The Padres tied the game at 2-2 when Donovan Solano and pinch hitter Luis Arraez hit consecutive doubles in the first inning against Fraser Ellard (2-3). Arraez advanced on a wild pitch and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Jurickson Profar.
Then Tatis hit a huge hit into the left-field stands, his 20th home run of the season.
White Sox rookie Sean Burke, in just his third major league appearance and second start, held the Padres to one run and two hits in six innings, striking out eight players and walking one.
Lee, who grew up in northern San Diego County, hit a line-shot home run to left with one out in the third inning, his 11th.
Jurickson Profar tied the game when he hit a single to left outfield in the bottom of the inning, his 24th and his career-best effort.
The White Sox took the lead again with Vargas’ home run to left center field with one out in the sixth inning, his fifth.
The earliest the Padres can clinch a playoff spot is Tuesday night, when they open a big three-game series at their NL West rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Entering Sunday, the Padres trailed the Dodgers by three games.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
