Crochet dazzles while Sox keep grinding in tough stretch 

MILWAUKEE -- Garrett Crochet paused for a moment when asked about another tough loss following a 4-3 setback in 10 innings to the Brewers Saturday at American Family Field.

In all honesty, there's not much left for the White Sox to say after answering the same question over and over again. They have lost 10 straight and 14 of their last 15, falling to a franchise-worst 15-44 through 59 games. The next-worst starts in franchise history belong to the 1948 White Sox (19-39-1) and the 2018 and 1931 White Sox (20-39).

Yet, Crochet found positive words in a game where the White Sox were in control into the seventh, only to get walked off by the National League Central leaders.

"It's tough, but the guys in here, we really rally around each other as opposed to teams I've been on in the past," Crochet said. "I feel like this is a good group. We come in every day trying to win games.

"We're all playing hard. We're all grinding together. Right now, the ball is not falling our way."

The ball certainly didn't fall their way in Friday's opener, when Milwaukee knocked out 23 hits. Crochet ensured history didn't repeat itself by striking out eight in six innings, including the final three hitters he faced. The southpaw took over the American League lead at 93 strikeouts, moving three ahead of Detroit's Jack Flaherty. He trails only the Dodgers' Tyler Glasnow at 95 in all of baseball.

Crochet's 103 pitches marked his first time above the 100-pitch mark in 13 starts. Since his ERA jumped to 6.37 on April 24, Crochet has allowed six runs on 23 hits over the last seven starts and 40 innings pitched with 53 strikeouts and seven walks.

"Oh man, he was attacking today," said Brewers shortstop Willy Adames. "He had power stuff and we couldn't do much against him. He was overpowering us today. He has an unbelievable fastball and that slider/cutter or whatever you want to call it was incredible. After the night our guys had last night, he came in and shut us out."

"If you remember early on, that first, second outing, he was all out every single pitch," White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. "He's pitching now, which is something that's really really good to see. It's just maturity, learning how to become a starter."

Gavin Sheets provided offensive support with a two-run home run off Robert Gasser in the fourth, as the left-handed-hitting Sheets had gone 102 career at-bats without a long ball against a southpaw before connecting. Andrew Benintendi also homered in the top of the third but left the game in the bottom of the fourth inning due to left Achilles tendinitis bothering him before he went deep.

The game was set up for victory until the seventh, when Adames delivered a two-out, game-tying single off Jordan Leasure after Justin Anderson walked two and Leasure walked Christian Yelich to load the bases. It was still deadlocked in the top of the 10th when Zach Remillard bunted foul for a third strike, leading off with Danny Mendick on second as the automatic runner.

Grifol felt confident playing for the one run, with Michael Kopech cruising through the ninth with two strikeouts and returning for the 10th. But Remillard was charged with an automatic strike on a batter pitch timer violation, putting him in the 0-1 hole to start that at-bat, and the White Sox ultimately didn't score.

"Once it hits that time, it's a strike," Remillard said. "Just one of those situations where you are in extra innings, guys are moving, we are trying to get our offense set up. You got a ghost runner out to second. It's kind of an unusual circumstance."

Adames ended the game with a single off the edge of Remillard's glove at shortstop, with runners on second and third and nobody out. William Contreras, who was on third, didn't run until the ball rolled away from Remillard's diving attempt.

It was the 18th time the White Sox lost after leading this season, but they are sticking together even in these worst times.

"One thing we've done really well is we've stayed together, tried to pick each other up during this time, because it sucks," Sheets said. "There's no way to really sugarcoat it. It's a tough stretch and it's not fun for anybody. All we can do is rally around each other and try to get out of this as soon as possible."