Didn't Sox learn their lesson against AL Central?

Did the White Sox learn nothing from last season?

Give them proper credit for winning 88 games, even if it seems like half of them came against some really bad National League teams.

But the Sox deserved a smack — and Ozzie delivered one in spring training — for their subpar play against teams in the AL Central.

The White Sox were 32-40 against the division in 2010, and that's why they finished 6 games behind the Twins.

The most frustrating part for the Sox was their showing against the two alleged bottom feeders, the Royals and the Indians.

They were 10-8 against Kansas City and 9-9 against Cleveland, not to mention 8-10 against Detroit and 5-13 against Minnesota.

It looked like Ozzie's harsh words were getting through in the first two games of the season, a pair of offensive-powered wins over the Indians.

But it has been the same-old, same-old the last two games, most recently Tuesday night's 7-6 loss in 12 innings to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

Give K.C. some credit: Alex Gordon is finally living up to his potential, the Royals lead the Central, and they've won four straight in their final at-bat.

But the White Sox appeared to have this one in hand early, taking a 4-0 lead in the first inning on Gordon Beckham's single to score Juan Pierre, who led off the game with a triple, and Paul Konerko's 3-run homer.

Sox starter Gavin Floyd couldn't hold the early edge, giving up 2 runs in the first and second innings, but he settled down and this still was a game the White Sox need to win.

The bounced back for a 6-4 lead in the sixth inning, but the bottom line is the Sox' bullpen didn't do the job and the Royals' did.

Looking like an early version of the 2010 Beckham, who struggled in his second big-league season, reliever Chris Sale served up a 2-run homer to Billy Butler in the eighth and the game went to extra innings.

The White Sox were sloppy trying to manufacture runs in Sunday's 7-1 loss at Cleveland, and that was the case again in the series opener against the Royals.

With two runners on and one out in the top of the 12th inning, pinch runner Brent Lillibridge was caught leaning off second base and later tagged out trying to advance to third.

Or, was he out of the baseline? The umpiring crew was confused on the call, but the damage was done and the Sox lost another divisional game.

Unless they want to repeat history, the White Sox need to clean it up.