Are the Chicago White Sox for real?

[Dr Morbius]

Or not yet?

The White Sox started the season mired in mediocrity, but were very hopeful about their starting pitching. It took a while, but over the last three weeks the pitching staff has started to look, well, terrific. Over the last 14 games, the Sox are 13-1. Their starting pitching has gone 11-1, with an ERA just a shade over 2. And here's the real deal: nearly every one of those starts has been a quality start. They have 14 quality starts in the last 15 games. Oh, and today they're aiming for their tenth straight win over their crosstown rivals the Cubs. They're up 4-0 in the third.

A quality start these days is defined as a game where the other team doesn't have more than three runs and you're in the 7th inning. The starters (Buehrle, Danks, Floyd, Garcia, and Peavy) seem to have turned it around. Paul Konerko and Carlos Quentin have been hitting well, but the nature of this team seems to be that when their bats fall silent Alex Rios or Juan Pierre will step up. So if the pitching is really there, and the offense seems to be showing up at need, can a repeat of 2005 be out of the question?

This is a markedly different team than those Sox. Those Sox were more opportunistic; they called it "small ball" but really, it was all about seeing opportunities and jumping on them offensively. This team can hit better. Some people are under-performing; the sophomore slump has been very hard on young Gordon Beckham. I figure he'll snap out of it eventually, hopefully by the time it counts in the season. Also, this is a different league. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays are all very solid clubs and will be difficult to beat in October. But this group of starters can be lethal, and I'll stack up our manager - Ozzie Guillen - against anyone without worrying about being outmanaged.

Thoughts?

[Onceuponalife]

1. I'm sure Ozzie Guillen will find a way to muck it all up.

Biggest jerkwad of a manager since.....well, you might have to go back to Lou Pineilla.

[Dr Morbius]

2. Eleven.

Longest win streak since 1961. That was last century. Another solid pitching performance, this time from Garcia.

[Gemini Cat]

3. It's a thing of beauty!

[Onceuponalife]

4. Texas Rangers won 11 in a row just a couple of days ago.

Was that 1961? The A's won 20 in a row in 2002 (dag, has it been that long??). Talk to me when the Blight Sox win that many.

[Dr Morbius]

5. Apologies. I will absent myself from your board.

Didn't realize I was out of line.