6th straight loss extends worst start in franchise history

MINNEAPOLIS — Garrett Crochet’s second inning Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins began with a walk.

“Starting an inning with a leadoff walk, you’re expecting to get out of the inning having given up at least one (run),” the Chicago White Sox starter said. “So, that’s just never a good start.”

Crochet allowed four runs in the inning — including a three-run home run by Willi Castro — in a 6-3 loss in front of 12,546 at Target Field.

“I feel like I executed my plan for the most part all day,” Crochet said. “It was just (that) they executed theirs as well.”

Crochet allowed five runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks in four-plus innings as the road woes continued for the Sox.

They are 0-6 on this two-city trip, which concludes Thursday. And they are 1-12 on the road this season, the worst start in franchise history.

Road or home hasn’t mattered all that much. At 3-21, the Sox are off to their worst 24-game start in franchise history.

Kevin Pillar and Korey Lee hit solo home runs for the Sox in the third and Braden Shewmake swiped home in the fifth as part of a double steal to get the Sox within 4-3. But the Sox only had one base runner in the final four innings, when Paul DeJong got hit by a pitch in the seventh.

Starter Joe Ryan and three Minnesota relievers combined to limit the Sox to four hits.

Meanwhile, the Twins got to Crochet early. The left-hander has allowed at least five runs in each of his last three starts.

He said of the down-and-in slider that Castro hit for the three-run home run: “That’s the fourth time that’s happened this year.”

“In the past coming out of the bullpen, I’d throw fastballs arm side and I’d throw sliders right there, so to get burned on that several times this year is tough,” Crochet said. “But I think I have to come to the realization that that’s a bad pitch and not the spot that I want to throw it.

“It’s a very easy pitch for a right-handed hitter to just drop their hands on. I think that I need to put some work in, in the bullpen on that.”