High-powered White Sox prepared to make final push to playoffs
Let the final stretch run begin.
For the White Sox, that means 17 straight games to close out the regular season. Barring an unexpected collapse, they'll keep sprinting right into the playoffs.
"I want to win," Sox shortstop Tim Anderson said. "You see the season has been going great. Obviously we haven't had a season like this since I got here. We need those 17 games.
"You best believe I will be ready for those 17 games. The biggest key is be ready to play. We need every guy from top to bottom to be able to play and come out with a whole lot of energy and hopefully we can click at all angles going into this stretch."
Even though they are heading into the critical stage with only three healthy, reliable starters - Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning - the White Sox are fairly confident Dallas Keuchel's back spasms will clear by the middle of the month.
Offensively, they have the firepower to pick up any potential slack left by the rotation and a bullpen that has been working overtime.
Through Wednesday's play, the Sox led the American League with a .270 batting average, 74 home runs, 219 RBI, an .806 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) and a plus-59 run differential.
"Our offense is very good," said MVP candidate Jose Abreu. "The middle of the lineup is packed with power and we are just going out every day doing what we know we can do."
Of the White Sox's remaining 17 games, 11 are against three teams (Twins, Indians, Cubs) that are positioned to make the expanded playoffs.
"Very big games for us," catcher James McCann said. "We have some big series coming up, but the most important thing is taking it day-by-day and not looking too far ahead and getting caught up in what's coming. Taking care of business each day and moving on from there."
Manager Rick Renteria didn't have a competitive roster his first three years in the Sox's dugout, the main reason he had a dismal 201-284 record heading into the COVID-19 shortened season.
That's changed this year, but Renteria is taking nothing for granted even though the White Sox are in first place in the AL Central and their magic number is 12.
"Does it feel better to be on this end? Absolutely," Renteria said. "It's nice to see them start accomplishing some of the things and some of the promise that everybody has foreseen in them. We are going to enjoy it, continue to enjoy it. But again, our job is not complete.
"We have a lot of baseball still left. We have to take care of today and that's the way we approach it. We'll have time enough in the end to enjoy whatever fruits might come of this."
Anderson is hoping to enjoy the Sox's first World Series championship since 2005.
"I'm going to give everything I've got to hopefully get there, and not just get there but carry us as far as we can go," he said. "We're trying to win this thing, trying to win the whole thing. Why not?"