SAN DIEGO — Lenyn Sosa got down in the count 1-2.
The Chicago White Sox trailed by two runs as Sosa batted with a runner on and two outs in the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
After a ball, Sosa fouled off the next three pitches.
Reliever Robert Suarez missed on a 100.4-mph fastball, making it a full count.
Suarez threw another 100.4-mph fastball, and Sosa was all over it. He drilled it over the left-field wall for a game-tying, two-run home run, stunning the sellout crowd of 45,790 at Petco Park.
“It was definitely a challenging at-bat,” Sosa said through an interpreter. “I was trying to keep my focus on trying to make contact with the ball and I think that challenge motivated me and I was able to hit the ball hard.”
The Padres rebounded in the 10th when Fernando Tatis Jr. knocked in automatic runner Luis Arraez from second with what was officially scored a double to defeat the Sox 3-2.
The Sox fell to 36-118. They are two shy of tying the 1962 New York Mets (40-120) for the most defeats in a season in MLB’s modern era. The Sox have eight games remaining.
“Things went their way,” Sosa said.
The 118 losses are the third-most in modern-day history, breaking a tie with the 1916 Philadelphia A’s (36-117). Only the ‘62 Mets and 2003 Detroit Tigers (43-119) have lost more games in a season. The 2003 Tigers hold the American League record.
There was strong pitching throughout Friday’s game.
Sox starter Garrett Crochet allowed one hit and struck out eight in four scoreless innings, surpassing 200 strikeouts for the season. He has 203 with one start remaining.
“Felt like I had all five pitches going and was able to do what I wanted in most counts,” said Crochet, whose night ended after 52 pitches.
The Padres took a 2-0 lead thanks to a two-run double by Jackson Merrill against reliever Gus Varland in the sixth inning. The broken-bat bloop hit was just out of the reach of diving right fielder Dominic Fletcher.
It remained that way going into the ninth. With two outs, Gavin Sheets worked a nine-pitch at-bat that led to a walk. Sosa followed with his nine-pitch at-bat, resulting in the two-run home run.
“Those were two great at-bats,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “Both guys really battled. Working the count. Fouling off tough pitches. It was exciting. You don’t see that happen too often. Getting a big home run like that in the ninth off a team’s closer. Two huge at-bats with two outs, that was a great effort.”
Sosa’s confidence grew as the at-bat went on.
“During that at-bat, I reached a point where I kind of started guessing,” he said. “Like, ‘OK, he’s got a pretty good breaking pitch.’ Thank God he threw me one but it was outside. After the sixth pitch, it was all fastballs and I was ready.”
The Padres placed runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Arraez ripped a liner right to Sheets at first base. He stepped on the bag for an inning-ending double play.
Korey Lee began the 10th for the Sox trying to bunt. But after getting two strikes, he grounded out to second — advancing the automatic runner Bryan Ramos to third. With the infield in, Fletcher hit a chopper to second and Ramos was thrown out at the plate.
“We had our opportunities, we didn’t execute there in extra innings,” Sizemore said. “Tough matchups. Good at-bats even then. Korey didn’t get the bunt down, but he did a good job getting him over. Just a tough at-bat, a tough read for Ramos there. Just didn’t work out.”
Tatis didn’t waste much time in the bottom of the 10th, connecting on reliever Justin Anderson’s second pitch for a liner to the gap in right-center for the game-ending hit.
“My first thought was, ‘OK, (center fielder Luis) Robert (Jr.’s) got it,’” said the second baseman Sosa of the initial contact. “But as soon as I turned (around), I figured it was difficult.”
The ball easily dropped in for a hit, and the Sox followed up Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in 13 innings by dropping another extra-inning game.
