Ex-Cal Stars Andrew Vaughn and Korey Lee Endure Defeat No. 120

The White Sox have matched the 1962 New York Mets' modern record for losses in a season.

Korey Lee celebrates his home run. / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The inevitable caught up to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

The Sox lost their 120th game of the season, 4-2 to the San Diego Padres, giving them the uncomfortable distinction of matching the modern record set by the 1962 expansion New York Mets.

For ex-Cal stars Andrew Vaughn and Korey Lee, regulars in the Chicago lineup, this has been a season they would love to forget. During their three seasons (2017-19) together in Berkeley, the Bears lost just 71 games.

The White Sox suffered defeat No. 71 back on July 14. They never have found their way out of the endless downward spiral.

“I think if you ask all 50 guys who are part of this organization, we are not going to be happy about it,” Lee told the Chicago Tribune. “If you are happy about it, then I don’t know what you are doing here.”

Lee, who made this difficult year his first as a full-time big leaguer, hit his 11th home run Sunday. 

“It’s obviously hard,” the 26-year-old catcher said, “but at the same time, you’ve got to focus on one day at a time.”

Vaughn and Lee both were selected in the first round of the 2019 draft, Vaughn as the No. 3 pick by the White Sox, Lee at No. 32 by the Houston Astros. 

Vaughn, who plays first base and DH, is completing his fourth major league season. went 1 for 4 on Sunday and is batting .246. That modest number is actually tops on the White Sox. He also leads the team in games (143), at-bats (545), runs (54), hits (134), doubles (30), RBI (67) and shares the lead with 19 home runs.

None of it has added up to any modicum of success.

The White Sox set the American League record for losses at 119 on Saturday and could own the outright MLB mark as soon as Tuesday, when they play the first of a three-game home series vs. the Los Angeles Angels.

Chicago closes the schedule with three games at Detroit.

The Mets were 40-120 in their first year of existence. The 1899 Cleveland Spiders were 20-134, a record which remains the all-time mark for losses in a season.

The White Sox got here by assembling three losing streaks of at least 10 games, including a 21-game skid that the longest in AL history.

Sunday’s loss was their fifth straight and 23rd in their past 28 games. The  been shut out 19 times and they are 0-101 when trailing after eight innings, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Sox were 3-22 in July, 4-22 in August.

One more loss, and the White Sox have sole possession of some history they never wanted.