Preseason expectations have been excessive for the Chicago White Sox, who have been projected to be one of many high groups within the American League.
Instead, the Sox have hovered round .500 for a lot of the season. That’s the place they stand — 46-46 — on the All-Star break, good for third place within the AL Central.
Shortstop Tim Anderson described the primary half as a “challenge.”
“But it’s also part of the process of learning and growing,” Anderson mentioned Monday throughout All-Star media day at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. “Now that the primary half is over, we are able to return to the drafting board and perceive what we did mistaken and now we are able to proceed to get higher for the second half.
“Go out and compete and have fun.”
That method was on show when the Sox received 5 of their final six main into the break towards the 2 groups forward of them within the Central: the second-place Cleveland Guardians and the division-leading Minnesota Twins.
The Sox return to motion Friday with the primary of 4 video games in three days towards the Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“I think we can tap back into what we’re capable of,” Anderson mentioned. “If everybody can max out and everybody can go out and be the best they can be. If everybody’s at their best, then I think we’ll be in a good spot.”
Here are three questions dealing with the Sox because the season resumes.
1. Will they discover extra success at Guaranteed Rate Field?
The Houston Astros entered Thursday as the one staff within the AL with extra highway wins (31) than the Sox, who’re 27-21 away from house.
Oddly, the Sox haven’t duplicated that success at Guaranteed Rate Field, the place they’re 19-25.
“The record speaks for itself,” Sox supervisor Tony La Russa mentioned July 8 through the staff’s final homestand. “So you determine the issue and also you assault it. We’ve seen for some time, particularly in comparison with final yr. This is a model new yr.
“The guys like to play here, the fans are very vocal and supportive. So it really is not an easy answer. You’ve got to have goals. The goal is to start winning series at home.”
The Sox are slashing .239/.300/.362 of their 44 house video games and .272/.321/.404 of their 48 highway video games. They’ve scored 222 runs on the highway and 184 at house.
But it’s not simply the offensive totals. The Sox have a 3.57 ERA on the highway and 4.35 at house. They have allowed 59 homers at Guaranteed Rate Field and 41 away from house.
The Sox had one of the best house report within the AL final season (53-28) on the best way to successful the Central. They’ll have to show it round if they will win the division once more. The Sox may have loads of alternatives probability instantly after the break, with 10 of their subsequent 12 video games at Guaranteed Rate.
2. What would the Sox appear like at near full energy?
Injuries have been a significant hurdle all season, relationship to spring coaching when reliever Garrett Crochet underwent season-ending Tommy John surgical procedure.
Heading into the break, the Sox have been with out catcher Yasmani Grandal, who has been on a rehab project whereas working his approach again from decrease again spasms. Reliever Aaron Bummer has been on the injured checklist since June 9 with a left lat pressure. He would give the staff some a lot wanted left-handed depth within the bullpen.
The Sox didn’t place Eloy Jiménez on the IL after the left fielder exited a July 13 sport towards the Guardians with tightness in his proper leg. He missed the ultimate 4 video games earlier than the break. The Sox spent a lot of the Twins sequence with out heart fielder Luis Robert. He left after the primary inning July 15 with lightheadedness.
Robert offered the facility enhance with a grand slam in 12-2 win towards the Twins an evening earlier. The Sox are twenty fourth within the majors with 80 homers, and having Grandal and Jiménez for prolonged durations will assist in that division.
How the Sox make the most of Jiménez, so far as how typically he’s in left area and the way typically he’s the designated hitter, shall be value monitoring.
“Last time it (the injury) happened, he was running the bases,” La Russa mentioned July 14. Jiménez was out from April 24-July 6 after struggling a torn hamstring tendon behind his proper knee whereas working to first base. He left the July 13 sport after making a working catch.
“He’s got to use his legs,” La Russa mentioned. “Especially when we get (Grandal) back, you look at the composition of our roster, it’s pretty tough to lock up the DH spot.”
The Sox additionally will proceed to watch Michael Kopech’s innings, as they’ve mentioned since spring coaching. The right-hander has a 3.36 ERA in 17 begins. He has pitched 83 innings whereas making the transition again to the rotation after spending most of final season as a reliever. He threw 69⅓ innings in 44 appearances (4 begins) final season.
“We’re watching him and it’s one of the measures,” La Russa mentioned July 13. “You’re watching him and you’re also seeing how he feels, how his knee feels (after exiting in the first on a July 12 start), what his stuff looks like.”
Kopech appreciated the “stuff” in his most up-to-date outing, incomes the win July 15 towards the Twins.
“I typically don’t like to watch the radar gun, but I have been looking at it a lot lately just to see if it’s back,” Kopech mentioned after the beginning. “It felt like it was back (July 15). Threw harder than I have been, my slider was up a tick too. Felt good with the stuff I had.”
3. Will the Sox catch the Twins and Guardians?
Even with an expanded playoff format in place, the seemingly finest route for the Sox to return to the postseason for a 3rd consecutive yr seems to be successful the division.
They are one sport behind the Guardians and path the Twins by three. The Sox entered Thursday 3½ video games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the ultimate of three wild-card spots. The Sox are tied with the stunning Baltimore Orioles and are behind the Boston Red Sox and the Guardians.
The Sox have shedding information towards the Guardians (3-6) and Twins (4-6), however time will inform if final week serves as a turning level. After dropping the primary two in a sequence in Cleveland, the Sox received the ultimate two behind sturdy pitching of Dylan Cease and Lucas Giolito. The Sox then went to Target Field and received three of 4 towards the Twins whereas outscoring them 32-10.
“Huge to finish out that way,” Anderson mentioned of the Twins sequence.
The Sox have 10 video games remaining towards the Guardians: 4 Friday-Sunday, three August 19-21 in Cleveland and three Sept. 20-22 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The Sox see loads of the Twins down the stretch. They meet for 3 video games Sept. 2-4 at Guaranteed Rate Field and play six of the final 9 video games of the season: Sept. 27-29 at Target Field and Oct. 3-5 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“Everyone has seen that we haven’t quite lived up to our own potential, and that’s something we are very well aware of in that clubhouse,” All-Star nearer Liam Hendriks mentioned Monday in Los Angeles. “It’s additionally one thing, we management our personal future. We haven’t performed our greatest baseball, particularly towards the Central (18-19), and that’s one thing we actually want to choose up within the second half.
“But something we showed … being able to win the last two against Cleveland and take three of four in Minnesota, that’s something we can take into the break and now come back fully rested and ready to go.”
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