Are the Sox in it to win it?
The White Sox are trying to do it again.
They’re trying to appease a jaded fan base by finally getting on that anticipated run and making a playoff push.
They’re backing off after driving manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Kenny Williams to the brink of baseball insanity.
They’re actually playing baseball.
We’ll see how long it lasts — and recent history suggests not very long — but the White Sox came off the deck once again this weekend.
Seemingly exposed as a subpar club while dropping six straight to the playoff bound Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees last week at U.S. Cellular Field, the Sox bounced back with a three-game sweep over Minnesota at Target Field, capped by Sunday’s 7-0 decision.
Say what you want about the Twins also being subpar this season, give the White Sox some credit for beating a team that has had their number for years.
After Jake Peavy delivered 8 dominant innings Sunday and Brent Lillibridge, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez and Alex Rios — yes, Alex Rios — hit home runs, the White Sox had to be feeling pretty good considering before the weekend they were 7-29 against their AL Central rivals dating to 2009.
For the first time since 2004, the Sox swept a three-game series in Minnesota. They also moved 5½ games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers.
“We’re going to grind things out,” Peavy told reporters after his first win since June 25. “That’s a testament to these guys who have not mailed it in.
“After that last stretch, we could’ve come in here, our heads hung low, and mailed it in on a team that has had our number.”
Most numbers on the White Sox are askew this season, and here are some updated ones.
ŸThe Sox are 14-5 in their last 19 road games, and they’re the only team in the American League with a winning record away (31-26) and losing record at home (24-32).
ŸBefore Sunday’s power display, the White Sox had hit 18 home runs in July, their lowest total for the month since 1992.
The only number that counts now is games behind the Tigers and second-place Cleveland Indians, so it is up to the White Sox to keep the streak going with four games at beatable Baltimore next on the schedule.
Perhaps the real Peavy will show up down the stretch after Sunday’s impressive showing. In 8 innings against the Twins, the 30-year-old starter allowed 3 hits and had 6 strikeouts and no walks.
“Once he got the lead he just said, ‘I’m getting ahead of every hitter,’” Minnesota’s Michael Cuddyer told reporters. “They stuck it to us, all three games.”
Perhaps the real Rios will show up after hitting his first home run in 132 at-bats. He was 5-for-9 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI while starting the final two games of the series.
“We have great players here,” Rios said. “We had a good series. Everybody did a good job. That’s what we need, to get things rolling.”