Give up 23 hits in 9th straight loss

MILWAUKEE – The hits kept coming and coming Friday against the Chicago White Sox.

Twenty-three in the game, to be exact, for the Milwaukee Brewers.

“It was like they found every hole,” Sox third baseman Danny Mendick said.

The Sox hung on for a while, taking a one-run lead into the seventh. But the Brewers sent 12 batters to the plate while scoring six runs on eight hits in the inning en route to a 12-5 victory over the Sox in front of 30,931 at American Family Field.

“We took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh and they just kept picking up the at-bats,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Putting the ball in play, they ended up getting 20 base hits and I think 17 of them were singles.

“And just one of those days where everything found a hole.”

The Sox extended their season-high losing streak to nine games, allowing season-highs in runs and hits.

“It’s part of baseball, they took what was given to them,” starter Erick Fedde said. “They tried to hit the ball the other way, where there were holes. Some credit to them for sure.

“Usually you don’t accidentally get 23 hits, just one of those things. As a pitcher, if you’re trying to limit damage, ground balls are usually a good thing.”

The Sox took some big hits early. Paul DeJong homered — his team-leading eighth — and Corey Julks drove in two with a double to give them a 3-1 lead in the third.

The Brewers scored three in the fourth against Fedde, who allowed four runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts and four walks over five innings.

“It had traffic all day,” Fedde said. “They made me work. I think overall they had a lot of good at-bats. They gave nothing. They took good sides and hit them where there were holes. Rough day.”

The Sox regained the lead with two out in the fifth. Gavin Sheets collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly and Korey Lee drove in a run with an infield hit to put the Sox ahead 5-4.

The Sox continued to hold the lead after Michael Soroka struck out two to get out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the sixth without allowing a run.

But Brice Turang tied the score with an RBI single against Soroka and William Contreras put the Brewers ahead with an RBI single against John Brebbia. Christian Yelich drove in two more with a check-swing double down the third-base line.

Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick also had RBI hits in the inning.

Yelich finished with five hits and five RBIs, sending the Sox to their 13th loss in 14 games.

With a 15-43 record, the White Sox are off to their worst 58-game start in franchise history.

“Of course it’s hard,” Fedde said. “We want to win games. Keep grinding, put things together. The bats were good for us today. I scored a few runs. From our standpoint, as a pitching staff, we have to be a little better to finish.”