For Sox, key now is to keep taking series
CLEVELAND - Major-league baseball is different from other professional sports.
With so many games, 162 in the regular season, winning every time out isn't only unrealistic, it's impossible.
The White Sox realize that, which is why they've set a more realistic goal after going 18-25 over the first seven weeks of the season - winning series.
Despite taking a 13-0 beating from the Florida Marlins on Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field, the Sox managed to win two of three in the interleague matchup.
And they got off to a good start against the Indians on Monday night, winning 7-2 at Progressive Field in the series opener.
The White Sox would gladly take a three-game sweep over Cleveland, which has dropped seven of eight and just lost two key players (center fielder Grady Sizemore, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera) to injuries.
As long as they take two of three, the Sox feel like they eventually can get back in the hunt.
"Coming in here, there ain't no ifs, ands or buts about it, this team has a few injuries, we have to win this series," said Jake Peavy, who starts against the Indians on Tuesday night in the middle game.
"I'm not sugarcoating anything. We've got to beat teams that we feel like we should beat. That's not a knock against the Cleveland Indians. They're hurt right now; they're not playing their best baseball.
"If we want to be where we think we need to be, you have to win series. I don't care about going five in a row.
"We're going to Tampa this weekend. You look at going into the best team in baseball and you try to go 2-2 and win the series here and you come off the road 4-3.
"We have a favorable schedule over the next month. We still believe in this team and I'm happy to be in a situation where, from the owner (Jerry Reinsdorf) to the general manager (Kenny Williams), they're going to try to win.
"There's not going to be, and Kenny reiterated it, 'Listen, we're not mailing it in; we're trying to get better.' I'm excited to be a part of that."
The White Sox have been anything but exciting over the first two months of the season, but Peavy said they'd be in good shape even with a .500 record at the all-star break.
"There are a lot of teams that thought they had a good team going in that aren't playing worth a darn right now," Peavy said.
"Atlanta, you look at the Mets, just to throw some teams off the top of my head that had high expectations and just haven't played well. This thing can turn around. We have plenty enough games against the teams in front of us.
"I think this next month or so is going to play a big hand in where our season goes. I'm hesitant to say we have a favorable schedule because big-league ballclubs are big-league ballclubs and anything can happen on any given day.
"But we feel like we can get going. Start winning series, that's the biggest thing."
Manager Ozzie Guillen has been preaching the same message.
"For us, every series is must win if we want to get back in this thing," Guillen said. "I think we have a better club than the one that showed early. We're playing better baseball."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Scot Gregor's game tracker </p>
<p class="News">White Sox 7, Indians 2</p>
<p class="News"><b>Winner's circle:</b> After losing his last 3 starts despite allowing 7 earned runs in 212/3 innings, John Danks gave up 2 runs while laboring through 5 innings and picked up the victory.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Good and bad:</b> Mark Teahen was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI, raising his average from .231 to .248. The third baseman also made his second error in as many games, increasing his season total to 8.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Feeling fine:</b> Matt Thornton has been bothered by soreness in his left triceps, but he pitched a scoreless seventh inning and struck out two of the three hitters he faced.</p>
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<li><a href="/story/?id=383249">Danks deserves win, and gets it<span class="date"> [5/24/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=383238">First inning biggest problem for Peavy<span class="date"> [5/24/10]</span></a></li>
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