Despite loss to Twins, first place feeling just fine for White Sox
For the first time in eight years, the White Sox woke up on Sept. 1 and found themselves in sole possession of first place.
The long climb back to the top is a bit skewed, considering the Sox are just over halfway through a regular season trimmed to 60 games by COVID-19.
Short or long, the White Sox seem equipped to play winning baseball.
In what they hope is the beginning of an extended run of success, the Sox got off to a bumpy start but rolled into Tuesday night's game against the Twins with 12 wins in the their last 14, the fourth-best record (22-13) in baseball and a rising star in rookie center fielder Luis Robert.
"It's what we've been waiting for, man," starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. "It's been a lot of losing baseball the last few years. We knew what we were capable of and now that we're starting to show it, coming out every single game with confidence, all nine players on the diamond, it's a lot of fun."
The White Sox jumped out to the early lead at Minnesota on Eloy Jimenez's 2-run double in the first inning, but the Twins rallied back for a 3-2 win. They also snapped a six-game losing streak.
Sox starter Dallas Keuchel pitched 5 scoreless innings and was lifted after throwing 85 pitches while dealing with an upset stomach.
"I felt it warming up," Keuchel said. "I didn't get a bunch of sleep last night. I wasn't going to make any excuses, I was just trying to get outs as quick as possible and was very fortunate to make it through five. I ran out of steam quick."
The loss dropped the White Sox back into a first-place tie with the Indians, but they are still in some pretty rare air as a team that last made the playoffs in 2008.
"There are different days, different games, different years," Jose Abreu said through a translator. "Whatever we've experienced and whatever happened is in the past. This year, our offense is very good, the middle of the lineup is packed with power and we are just going out every day doing what we know we can do. We are in a very good point as a team, not just an offense."
Robert hit a 3-run homer in the 10th inning to cap Sunday's win over the Royals. In the Sox's 8-5 win over the Twins Monday, Robert tied the game at 5 with a home run in the seventh inning and decided the outcome with an RBI double in the ninth.
After going 0-for-4 in Tuesday night's loss, Robert is batting .288 with 10 home runs and 24 RBI in 34 games.
"I know he's doing a lot of really good stuff, great moments," manager Rick Renteria said. "But when it all comes together and it clicks, let me put it to you this way, you guys will know it. "Right now you're seeing a lot of special stuff, but you'll know it."