Strong pitching, home runs not enough

MILWAUKEE — The Chicago White Sox received another strong pitching performance from Garrett Crochet.

Andrew Benintendi and Gavin Sheets came through with timely home runs.

Still, the Sox couldn’t end their slide.

The Milwaukee Brewers rallied with two runs in the seventh, leading to extra innings. And in the 10th, William Contreras scored on an infield hit by Willy Adames as the Brewers beat the Sox 4-3 in front of 36,017 at American Family Field.

The Sox have lost a season-high 10 straight. With a record of 15-44, they are off to their worst 59-game start in franchise history.

“We’re all playing hard and we’re all grinding through it together, right now the ball’s just not falling our way,” Crochet said.

Crochet allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk while throwing a career-high 103 pitches in six innings.

Crochet left with a 3-1 lead, as Benintendi hit a solo home run in the third and Sheets had a two-run home run in the fourth.

He finished his outing striking out three of the final four hitters he faced. It was a continuation of an outstanding May when he went 4-1 with a 0.93 ERA in five May starts.

“Crochet pitched his ass off,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “He’s been pitching his ass off all year, especially since I think the end of April. He was phenomenal. That’s a good team over there and he was able to neutralize those guys.”

A close call didn’t go the Sox’s way during a pivotal seventh. With a runner on first and one out, reliever Justin Anderson got Joey Ortiz to hit a grounder to first. Sheets stepped on the bag and threw to second, where it was ruled Brice Turang got in safely just ahead of Zach Remillard’s tag.

“I thought I got the tag down and I do think he was out,” Remillard said. “They didn’t confirm it (in the video review).”

Contreras walked and the two runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch by reliever Jordan Leasure. Adames tied the score with an RBI single to center.

It remained even until the 10th, when Remillard couldn’t corral Adames’ grounder to short, bringing home Contreras.

The Sox completed the game without Benintendi, who exited in the third inning with left Achilles tendinitis.

“(Benintendi) is a tough kid, can play through pain,” Grifol said. “For him to come out of a ballgame, it’s bothering him. We’ll see.”

The Sox will await further word on Benintendi. They’ve played the first two games of the series without first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who suffered a sprained finger on his left hand during Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

“It happened on that wild pitch that bounced right back to (catcher Alejandro) Kirk, (Vaughn) had to slide at third base,” Grifol said before Saturday’s game. “Finished the game, but it’s his ring finger.

“A sprain there, so it’s not feeling too well. It’s a little angry. It’s a pivotal finger on the bottom hand.”