CHICAGO  — The Chicago White Sox are on course to finish with baseball’s worst record of the modern era. Change clearly is needed.

The White Sox made a switch in the dugout, firing Manager Pedro Grifol and three coaches on Thursday, two days after the team ended a 21-game losing streak that tied the American League record.

Chicago began the day 28-89, on pace to finish 39-123, which would be the worst major league record since the National League’s Cleveland Spiders were 20-134 in 1899.

The White Sox ended the losing streak with a 5-1 victory at Oakland on Tuesday night, then wasted a two-run lead in a 3-2 loss on Wednesday. The 21 losses tied the mark set when the 1988 Baltimore Orioles started 0-21.

“We know the flaws in this roster,” General Manager Chris Getz said. “But with that being said, we expected to win more games – we did. These factors led to the decision.”

Grifol was in the middle of his second season as a major league manager after a long career in the game, lugging an 89-190 record.

He was the first manager fired this season. Getz said a replacement likely will be hired from outside the organization after the season and it would be someone currently in a major league uniform.

Major league coach Grady Sizemore will take over as interim manager, with his first game scheduled for Friday when Chicago hosts the crosstown Cubs. A three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove center fielder with Cleveland, he is in his first season as a White Sox coach after serving as a minor-league instructor with the Guardians and a coach with the Arizona Complex League Diamondbacks in 2023.

ASTROS: Houston right-hander Justin Verlander is set for a rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land, the next step in his return from neck stiffness that has sidelined the three-time Cy Young Award winner for two months.

Verlander will pitch in the Houston suburb on Saturday night, three days after his latest bullpen session for the Astros. The 41-year-old has said he will need two rehab starts before rejoining the Astros.

Verlander hasn’t pitched since June 9. He missed the beginning of the season with right shoulder inflammation before going 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA in 10 starts. He made his season debut April 19.

THURSDAY GAMES

PADRES 7, PIRATES 6: Luis Arráez hit an RBI double to cap a three-run ninth inning that put San Diego ahead and the Padres finished off a series sweep in Pittsburgh.

With San Diego down 5-4, Pirates closer David Bednar (3-4) gave up a single to Xander Bogaerts and walked Jackson Merrill to start the ninth inning before striking out David Peralta and walking Ha-Seong Kim to load the bases. Bogaerts scored on a grounder from Kyle Higashioka before Oneil Cruz tossed a double play attempt past first, letting Merrill score the go-ahead run.

METS 9, ROCKIES 1: Pete Alonso hit two home runs, David Peterson gave up one earned run across five innings and New York rolled past visiting Colorado to clinch a series victory.

Mark Vientos hit his 17th homer of the season, Jose Iglesias had two RBI, and Francisco Lindor had two hits and an RBI for the Mets, who moved a half-game ahead of the division rival Atlanta Braves for the sixth and final playoff spot in the National League playoff standings.

BREWERS 16, BRAVES 7: Milwaukee rookie Jackson Chourio hit two two-run home runs, part of a six-homer, 20-hit barrage by the Brewers as they swept the Braves in Atlanta.

In addition to the 20-year-old Chourio, who went 3 for 5 with four RBI, the Brewers received home runs from William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, Willy Adames and Jake Bauers.

GIANTS 9, NATIONALS 5: Michael Conforto’s two-run single highlighted a four-run 10th inning and San Francisco won at Washington after squandering a three-run lead in the ninth inning.