White Sox playing much better baseball in 2nd half of season
White Sox have played much better baseball in the second half of the season and in August. The team could finish this month with a winning record
The Chicago White Sox were able to win its series against the Detroit Tigers this past weekend. After taking three of four games from their division rival on the road, the Sox continued their recent hot streak where they’ve gone 7-3 in their last 10 contests.
With the month of August ending on Thursday, the Sox have the opportunity to complete a winning month in this season. Although the Sox record of 51-79 isn’t good overall, the team has played much better baseball in the second half of the season. After starting 2018 with a 33-62 record, the Sox have gone 18-17 in their last 35 games.
The Sox are 14-10 in August, but they will face a tough test in trying to finish the month with a winning record. Beginning Monday night, the Sox will face two American League East juggernauts in the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox starting on Thursday. The series with the Yankees will conclude a seven-game road trip for the Sox.
More from White Sox News
- The Chicago White Sox might have had a season ending loss
- The Chicago White Sox are expecting Tim Anderson back soon
- Miguel Cairo’s words spark life into the Chicago White Sox
- Dylan Cease should be the favorite for the AL Cy Young Award
- Ozzie Guillen speaks the whole truth about Tony La Russa
There have been many contributors to the Sox recent success as of late. The Sox have benefitted from great starts from Carlos Rodon and Lucas Giolito, and also solid play offensively from Tim Anderson. Many of the players that have contributed lately are individuals that are important to this team’s rebuild.
On Sunday, Michael Kopech, the newly promoted Sox prospect, had a decent start against the Tigers. Although Kopech would later admit that he didn’t have his best stuff, he was still able to allow just one earned run in six innings pitched. Kopech has yet to walk a batter in MLB and has already recorded eight strikeouts in just eight innings pitched.
Along with Kopech’s quality start on Sunday, Giolito not only posted a quality start of his own on Saturday but continued his impressive streak on the road in the second half. Giolito became the first Sox starting pitcher to 10 wins with his outing on Saturday night against the Tigers. Although his ERA on the season sits at 5.85, Giolito hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a road start since July 3.
Similar to Giolito, Rodon has also contributed well to the point of being the best starting pitcher the Sox currently have. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.87 ERA in the second half and will look to notch his sixth win of the season on Monday night at Yankee Stadium. Rodon has established himself as the ace of the Sox pitching staff after not starting the season until June 9.
As the Sox have gotten quality contributions from three of their young starting pitchers lately, Anderson has provided the team with solid offensive this month. Through 23 games played in August, Anderson owns a .273/.301/.489 slash line with a .790 OPS. This has been the best month for Anderson this season.
dark. Next. Future Prospects That Will Soon Make Their MLB Debuts
The Sox getting good contributions from their young players is a good sign for the organization’s current rebuild. Some Sox fans may point out the team is playing better because they’ve played against teams in their division recently that are under .500. However, if the Sox are going to be a good team in the future, they have to beat teams within their division often.