Konerko on 10-game skid: 'There are not a lot of positives'

DETROIT – It took 12 innings, but the White Sox went down again Sunday, this time by a 3-2 count on Torii Hunter’s single against Dylan Axelrod that scored pinch-runner Matt Tiasosopo from second base.

The losing streak hit 10, the loss was the 16th in the last 19 games and for the first time in franchise history, the Sox (40-69) were winless on a road trip of seven or more games.

The 10-game skid is the franchise’s first since 1976. For the entire clubhouse, this is uncharted, unwanted and unacceptable territory.

“There are not too many people in here, myself included, that have experience with what’s happening here,’’ said 37-year-old captain Paul Konerko, whose homer in the ninth inning against Drew Smiley tied it. “I’ve always been lucky to be on teams that just … I was never on a team like this and a lot of the guys are the same way. So we are just trying to get through and you just try to do the best you can at the moments you are in there playing and making decisions to do stuff.

“That’s it. There’s nothing. There are not a lot of positives. You have to try to find them as best you can personally and as a team.’’

The Sox played an error free game and had 10 hits. Tyler Flowers was doubled off second on a soft fly that shortstop Jhonny Peralta ran down and Alejandro De Aza did not tag on a short liner to center by Alex Rios. Manager Robin Ventura gave both a pass, and the Sox viewed it as a relatively well played game.

“I mean, we are trying to break it down at this point to just whatever game we got that game, that’s the biggest thing we have going for us is playing that game,’’ Konerko said. “You go out and you play hard and get good pitching, get some hitting and play a good ball game against a good team.

“And then you wind up losing at the end of it. And then suddenly it gets connected to all the other ones we have had. When we are out there, we are playing the game for what it is and we are playing hard and we are attacking it right. It’s just not happening.

“The schedule keeps coming at you and before we know we’ll be on the field tomorrow night and that’s where we have to focus.’’