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List of Major League Baseball longest losing streaks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of the longest team losing streaks in Major League Baseball history. Streaks started at the end of one season are carried over into the following season. Two lists are provided—one with streaks that consist entirely of regular-season games and one with streaks of playoff games only.

The 1889 Louisville Colonels hold the record for the longest losing streak in official MLB history at 26 games, though the 1875 Brooklyn Atlantics lost 31 consecutive games in the National Association, a number that is not considered official by MLB. In the modern two-league era, the longest losing streak belongs to the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies at 23 games. In the American League, the 1988 Baltimore Orioles and 2024 Chicago White Sox hold the record at 21 games. The longest losing streak consisting entirely of postseason games is 18, belonging to the Minnesota Twins (2004–2023).

The longest losing streak by a defending World Series Champion is 11, by the 1998 Florida Marlins and the 1986 Kansas City Royals.

Key

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^ Denotes streaks that included unofficial ties
** Denotes streaks that spanned over two seasons
Denotes streaks that are currently in progress
* Denotes season in which team won the World Series

Streak

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Regular season

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This list contains only the top 20 streaks consisting entirely of regular-season games.

Rank Games Lost Team Season(s) Season
record(s)
Date Score Opponent Date Score Opponent
Beginning (first defeat) End (first victory)
1 26 Louisville Colonels 1889 27–111 May 22, 1889 2–11 Baltimore Orioles June 23, 1889 7–3 St. Louis Browns
2 24 Cleveland Spiders 1899 20–134 August 26, 1899 1–2 New York Giants September 18, 1899 5–4 Washington Senators
3 (tie) 23 Pittsburgh Alleghenys 1890 23–113 August 12, 1890 12–13 Chicago Colts September 4, 1890 6–2 Cleveland Spiders
3 (tie) 23 Philadelphia Phillies 1961 47–107 July 29, 1961 3–4 San Francisco Giants August 20, 1961 7–4 Milwaukee Braves
5 22 Philadelphia Athletics 1890 54–78 September 16, 1890 1–5 Baltimore Orioles Foldeda N/A N/A
6 (tie) 21 Baltimore Orioles 1988 54–107 April 4, 1988 0–12 Milwaukee Brewers April 29, 1988 9–0 Chicago White Sox
6 (tie) 21 Chicago White Sox 2024 41–121 July 10, 2024 2–3 Minnesota Twins August 6, 2024 5–1 Oakland Athletics
8 (tie) 20 Louisville Colonels 1894 36–94 May 28, 1894 2–4 Pittsburgh Pirates June 19, 1894 9–4 Pittsburgh Pirates
8 (tie) 20 Boston Americans 1906 49–105 May 1, 1906 0–8 New York Highlanders May 25, 1906 3–0 Chicago White Sox
8 (tie) 20 Philadelphia Athletics 1916 36–117 July 21, 1916 2–7 Cleveland Indians August 9, 1916 7–1 Detroit Tigers
8 (tie) 20 Philadelphia Athletics 1943 49–105 August 7, 1943 1–3 New York Yankees August 24, 1943 8–1 Chicago White Sox
8 (tie) 20 Montreal Expos 1969 52–110 May 13, 1969 3–10 Houston Astros June 8, 1969 4–3 Los Angeles Dodgers
13 (tie) 19 Boston Beaneaters 1906 49–102 May 17, 1906 0–2 Cincinnati Reds June 9, 1906 6–3 St. Louis Cardinals
13 (tie) 19 Cincinnati Reds 1914 60–94 September 5, 1914 2–12 St. Louis Cardinals September 23, 1914 3–0 Boston Braves
13 (tie) 19 Detroit Tigers 1975 57–102 July 29, 1975 2–4 New York Yankees August 16, 1975 8–0 California Angels
13 (tie) 19 Kansas City Royals 2005 56–106 July 28, 2005 5–10 Tampa Bay Devil Rays August 20, 2005 2–1 Oakland Athletics
13 (tie) 19 Baltimore Orioles 2021 52–110 August 3, 2021 1–13 New York Yankees August 25, 2021 10–6 Los Angeles Angels
18 (tie) 18 Cincinnati Reds 1876 9–56 July 11, 1876 2–8 New York Mutuals August 25, 1876 3–1 Louisville Grays
18 (tie) 18 Louisville Colonels^ 1894 36–94 August 15, 1894 4–14 Philadelphia Phillies September 6, 1894 15‍–‍10 Boston Beaneaters
18 (tie) 18 St. Louis Browns 1897 29–102 September 3, 1897 1–22 Baltimore Orioles September 27, 1897 5–4 Cincinnati Reds
18 (tie) 18 Washington Senators** 1903
1904
43–94
38–113
September 24, 1903 2–12 Cleveland Indians May 5, 1904 9–4 New York Highlanders
18 (tie) 18 Philadelphia Athletics 1920 48–106 June 8, 1920 5–7 Cleveland Indians June 28, 1920 6–2 Washington Senators
18 (tie) 18 Washington Senators 1948 56–97 September 3, 1948 2–6 New York Yankees September 19, 1948 10–7 Chicago White Sox
18 (tie) 18 Washington Senators 1959 63–91 July 19, 1959 5–6 (10) Kansas City Athletics August 5, 1959 9–0 Cleveland Indians

Playoffs

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This list contains only streaks consisting entirely of postseason games.

Rank Games Team Season(s) Date Score Opponent Date Score Opponent
Beginning (first defeat) End (first victory)
1 18 Minnesota Twins 2004, 2006, 20092010, 2017, 20192020 October 6, 2004 6–7 (12) New York Yankees October 3, 2023 3–1 Toronto Blue Jays
2 13 Boston Red Sox 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995 October 25, 1986 5–6 (10) New York Mets September 29, 1998 11–3 Cleveland Indians
3 11 Philadelphia Phillies 1915, 1950, 1976 October 9, 1915 1–2 Boston Red Sox October 4, 1977 7–5 Los Angeles Dodgers
4 (tie) 10 Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves 1958, 1969, 1982, 1991 October 6, 1958 0–7 New York Yankees October 10, 1991 1–0 Pittsburgh Pirates
4 (tie) 10 Kansas City Royals 19801981, 19841985 October 19, 1980 3–4 Philadelphia Phillies October 11, 1985 6–5 Toronto Blue Jays
4 (tie) 10 Baltimore Orioles 2014, 2016, 20232024 October 10, 2014 6–8 Kansas City Royals Active
7 (tie) 9 Texas Rangers 1996, 19981999 October 2, 1996 4–5 (12) New York Yankees October 6, 2010 5–1 Tampa Bay Rays
7 (tie) 9 San Diego Padres 1998, 20052006 October 17, 1998 6–9 New York Yankees October 7, 2006 3–1 St. Louis Cardinals
7 (tie) 9 Chicago Cubs 2003, 20072008 October 12, 2003 0–4 Florida Marlins October 7, 2015 4–0 Pittsburgh Pirates
7 (tie) 9 Los Angeles Angels 2005, 20072008 October 12, 2005 1–2 Chicago White Sox October 5, 2008 5–4 (12) Boston Red Sox
11 8 Cleveland Indians/Guardians 20172018, 2020 October 8, 2017 0–1 New York Yankees October 7, 2022 2–1 Tampa Bay Rays

World Series

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This list contains only streaks consisting entirely of World Series games.

Rank Games Team Season(s) Date Score Opponent Date Score Opponent
Beginning (first defeat) End (first victory)
1 (tie) 8 New York Yankees 1921, 1922, 1923 October 11, 1921 5–8 New York Giants October 11, 1923 4–2 New York Giants
1 (tie) 8 Philadelphia Phillies 1915, 1950 October 9, 1915 1–2 Boston Red Sox October 14, 1980 7–6 Kansas City Royals
1 (tie) 8 Atlanta Braves 1996, 1999 October 22, 1996 2–5 New York Yankees October 26, 2021 6–2 Houston Astros
4 (tie) 7 San Diego Padres 1984, 1998 October 12, 1984 2–5 Detroit Tigers
4 (tie) 7 Detroit Tigers 2006, 2012 October 24, 2006 0–5 St. Louis Cardinals
6 (tie) 6 Detroit Tigers 1907, 1908 October 9, 1907 1–3 Chicago Cubs October 12, 1908 8–3 Chicago Cubs
6 (tie) 6 St. Louis Cardinals 1928, 1930 October 4, 1928 1–4 New York Yankees October 4, 1930 5–0 Philadelphia Athletics
6 (tie) 6 Chicago Cubs 1929, 1932 October 12, 1929 8–10 Philadelphia Athletics October 2, 1935 3–0 Detroit Tigers
6 (tie) 6 Cleveland Indians 1954, 1995 September 29, 1954 2–5 (10) New York Giants October 24, 1995 7–6 (10) Atlanta Braves
6 (tie) 6 Cincinnati Reds 1961, 1970 October 7, 1961 2–3 New York Yankees October 14, 1970 6–5 Baltimore Orioles
6 (tie) 6 Los Angeles Dodgers 1978, 1981 October 13, 1978 1–5 New York Yankees October 23, 1981 5–4 New York Yankees
6 (tie) 6 New York Yankees 1981, 1996 October 23, 1981 4–5 Los Angeles Dodgers October 22, 1996 5–2 Atlanta Braves
6 (tie) 6 St. Louis Cardinals 1987, 2004 October 24, 1987 5–11 Minnesota Twins October 21, 2006 7–2 Detroit Tigers

Footnotes

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  • ^a The Philadelphia Athletics folded following the 1890 season without breaking their losing streak.

See also

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References

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