SAN DIEGO (AP) — Lenyn Sosa hit a tying two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, but the Chicago White Sox lost their 118th game when Fernando Tatis Jr.’s run-scoring double leading off the 10th lifted the San Diego Padres to a 3-2 victory on Friday night.
Chicago (36-118) needs to go 7-1 in its final eight games to avoid the post-1900 record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets. The White Sox are one loss from tying the American League record set by the 2003 Detroit Tigers and despite the comeback dropped to 0-100 when trailing after eight innings. Chicago is 9-47 since the All-Star break.
The 1899 Cleveland Spiders hold the major league loss record at 20-134.
San Diego (88-66) maintained a two-game lead over Arizona for the top NL wild card.
Suarez blew a save for the sixth time in 39 chances, including three of his last six. Gavin Sheets walked with two outs in the ninth, and Sosa capped a nine-pitch at-bat by diving a 100.4 mph fastball over the middle of the plate into the left-center field seats.
Tyler Wade, who entered as a pinch runner in the ninth inning, threw out Bryan Ramos at the plate in the 10th when he tried to score from third on Dominic Fletcher’s grounder to second base off Adrian Morejon (3-2).
With automatic runner Brandon Lockridge on second base in the bottom half, Tatis hit an opposite-field drive against Justin Anderson (1-2) that bounced on three hops to the right-center field wall for his second walk-off hit.
Rookie Jackson Merrill hit a two-run double in the sixth off Gus Varland.
Padres starter Joe Musgrove matched his season high of nine strikeouts, allowing four hits in six innings.
Garrett Crochet gave up one hit in four innings and 52 pitches, striking out eight. Chicago is limiting his innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: SS Ha-Seong Kim (right shoulder) resumed his throwing program, with no guarantee he’ll return before the end of the regular season.
UP NEXT
White Sox RHP Chris Flexen (2-14, 5.09 ERA) starts Saturday against Padres LHP Martín Pérez (4-5, 4.36 ERA).
