The All-Star break could have been a road bump that derailed the White Sox momemtum as they cruised into the break with an 8-game winning streak. Instead, they've picked up right where they left off, winning ugly, and racking up their second 9+game winning streak of the year.
They've only had 3 such streaks in my lifetime (if you don't count their 10-game stretch that spanned two seasons -- and I know I don't) and two of them have been in the last 30 games. This team is hotter than hot.
I'd like to have one of the old timers -- not today or tomorrow, but when we're feeling a lull -- do a write up about how this team (or maybe just this run) compares to that of '83. I'm not looking for a comparison of the teams themselves, but more of a What Was It Like To Be Fan Right Then type thing. As it is, my only real point of reference is '05. I mean, I remember the other good Sox teams, but it's simply unfair to compare this team to the '05 squad. That season had magic in it from opening day.
But this one is starting to get there. I don't know if I'd call it magic yet, but they've certainly got the pixie dust and good pitching thing down.
Even though the Sox bats couldn't put Kevin Slowey away with a knockout blow early, racking up 3 sacrifice flies in the first two innings, even though a Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios misplay led to an extra out-fueled 6-run rally to relinquish that early lead in the bottom of the second, I still felt like John Danks was one pitch away from getting out of the second without much damage, and that he would still be able to bulldog his way through the game.
This wasn't '05. I wasn't sure the Sox were gonna pull it out. But I knew it was going to be a game despite the early pitching lapse, which seemed mental more than anything.
It wasn't easy even after the Sox used a balk to tie it up and some good old-fashioned run producing to take the lead. Bobby Jenks had to come on to clean up Sergio Santos' mess in the 8th. Kudos to Gordon Beckham for preventing a run before Jenks entered as well. Jenks then allowed a run in the 9th before bringing the would-be winning-run to the plate in our old friend Jim Thome. Jenks froze him on a 1-2 slider, and that's all she wrote.
These Sox, however flawed they may be, have provided us with some of the most entertaining baseball of my adult life the last 30+ games.