Chicago White Sox: Three keys to winning AL Central

Beat the Twins and Indians

Two series, in particular, stand out on the schedule which is the Twins series and the Indians series. They could be the franchise’s most important series this decade. This sounds obvious but the Sox needs to take both series against the Twins and Indians. As it currently stands both teams are only a game back from the White Sox. The Sox have a losing record against both teams this year combining to go 4-8.

The Twins, whose offense has not been special this year and it has outscored the White Sox 48-28. Most of the damage has come from Nelson Cruz, which you might expect. The White Sox must avoid pitching to him at all costs.  The Indians’ series will be especially important. Unlike the Twins, the Indians have beat the Sox with their elite pitching. Despite trading away their ace Mike Clevinger, the Indians still own the best starting rotation in baseball. Good pitching usually beats good hitting.

The White Sox are going to have to change that narrative while being able to match the Indians starters. The Indians offense leaves a lot to be desired and they have no bench depth so White Sox pitching is capable of holding their offense at bay. However, the Indians also have an advantage down the stretch because of their easy schedule with games against the Pirates and Tigers still to go. The White Sox have done a good job capitalizing on weak opponents but have struggled with teams over .500. It is time to step up and take down their rivals if they want to win the division.