Chicago White Sox Morning BP: Is the winning for real or a mirage?

Have the Chicago White Sox finally turned the corner in July, or it this current four-game winning streak by the Pale Hose a mirage that will send us all crashing back to reality sooner rather than later?

The past four games have been great to watch if you are a fan and follower of the White Sox with two road wins over the St. Louis Cardinals, followed with wins against the Baltimore Orioles the past two games at U.S. Cellular Field.

Today the White Sox send Carlos Rodon to the bump to take on the O’s for a chance to sweep the three-game set, a series the Sox have won by scores of 1-0 and 3-2. Against the Cardinals the wins were by scores of 2-1 and 7-1, meaning the White Sox are winning the close games with three of those four wins coming by one run, and that is something many have waited for all season long.

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Also what is great to see is the White Sox are keeping the opposition to two or less runs in those wins with the starting pitching being some of the best we’ve seen all season, including John Danks pitching seven shutout innings on Friday night.

The streak began with Sale having 12 K’s in a no decision on Tuesday, followed with a win Wednesday by Jose Quintana where in six innings he allowed one earned run on one hit and no walks. In the win by Quintana he also struck out eight.

With four White Sox starters pitching very good baseball right now, and Rodon pitching on Sunday, the White Sox have a very good opportunity for a fifth consecutive quality start (and win) in what will be the past five games once Sunday is complete.

Rodon’s last start was on June 25 as the Sox skipped him in the rotation last week. Against the Tigers in what was a no-decision, Rodon (3-1, 4.07 ERA) went five innings where he allowed four earned runs on eight hits and three walks. The outing saw him strike out seven, but it was by far not his best outing of what is his rookie season.

The White Sox lefty will be facing Miguel Gonzalez (6-5, 4.04 ERA). In Gonzalez’s last start (June 30) he was roughed up for six earned runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings against the Texas Rangers. He had one strikeout.

Chicago enters Sunday game with a 36-42 record, 9.0 games out of first place in the AL Central, but in the AL Wild Card standings the White Sox are 5.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot.

Game time is set for 1:05 p.m. CT.

White Sox headlines:

Bobby Jenks remembers ‘incredible’ White Sox World Series run: By JJ Stankevitz of CSN Chicago.

• White Sox to give Chris Sale an extra day of rest: By Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago.

Garcia Robs Davis In 9th, White Sox Hold Off Orioles 3-2: By The Associated Press via CBS Local (Chicago).

•  Are Chicago White Sox in … or out? By Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald.

Sox’ GM Rick Hahn: No rift with Kenny Williams: By Seth Gruen of the Chicago Sun-Times.

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