If the Homerun Derby and All-Star game are indications of what to expect in baseball’s second half then I’m adding a seatbelt to my recliner because I don’t want to miss a pitch of any game. The White Sox still have the best record in the American League Central division but the lead was shrinking as the first half of the season closed.

The White Sox still have the best record in the American League Central division, but that lead was shrinking as the first half of the season closed. The Minnesota Twins have won 21 out of their last 28 games (.750 winning percentage), and they’re doing all this with Johan Santana having left for the Mets and their young ace, Francisco Liriano, tearing up the minors while waiting to return to the big leagues.

In order for the Sox to hold off the Twins and potentially the Detroit Tigers, the cards must fall into place for them in the second half.

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Gavin Floyd and John Danks Can’t Stumble
Both pitchers are exceeding expectations, especially if you compare them against their statistics throughout the seasons before this one. Last season for the Sox, Floyd went just 1-5 with an ERA of 5.27. The gap is even greater in Danks’ case. Last season, he went just 6-13 with a 5.50 ERA. This year, he already has one more win than all of last year, nine fewer losses, and sports an ERA less than half of last season’s (2.67). The Sox’s success might lie on the young shoulders of these two pitchers.

Veteran Pitching Steps Up for the Challenge
While Mark Buehrle has turned his bad start to respectability, this isn’t the case for the unsteady duo of Javier Vázquez and José Contreras. Vázquez had a decent start in both April and May, going 5-4 with an ERA of 3.43. However, June and July has been unkind to him thus far; he is just 2-3, his ERA has jumped to 4.61, and he’s only gone past the sixth inning just once since June.

Unfortunately for the Sox, Contreras has been even less consistent than Vázquez. He had a spectacular May where he went 3-1, only allowed more than two runs in just one of his six starts, and ended the month with a 2.89 ERA. June and July have been cruel to Contreras, as well. He’s 2-3, has an ERA of 4.60 now, and has allowed more than five runs in four starts! If Floyd or Danks falter after the All-Star break, then one of these two veterans will need to step up their pitching skills to fill the gap.

The Need for Speed
In 2005, the Sox had the luxury of a stellar bag-thief (when he got on base) in Scott Podsednik. This year’s team is without a base runner that demands attention and disrupts the opposing pitcher’s routine. Orlando Cabrera has a respectable 15 steals, but after him is Alexeí Ramirez with just seven. The big bats will get the extra base hits to score some runs, but if there isn’t anyone out there who can steal a base or stretch a single into a double, then those extra base hits go for naught.

Continued Clutch Relief
Sox relief pitching tops the league and that’s the way it must remain. The innings past the seventh are vital and that separates good teams from the great, because they shut the door and don’t allow the other team to creep in to steal a close one. Sox pitchers have the lowest ERA past the seventh inning at 2.85. This is a direct reflection on their great set-up men and closers who together shorten the nine-inning game to just seven. This puts confidence in their starters, who know that they have a safety net waiting to secure their hard-fought victory.

Injury-less in Chicago
Either the trainers are doing an amazing job or the water on the South Side has more vitamins than up North. Either way, the Sox have been relatively healthy all season. Bobby Jenks was on the DL for 15 days, but he will be coming off that soon and the rest of the bullpen picked-up the slack anyway. Paul Konerko was also out for half of June. Other than those two, the hospital hasn’t been visited by any key Sox players. If someone in the lineup lands on the DL for a substantial amount of time, that could spell trouble, especially if it’s Carlos Quentin or Jermaine Dye. Ozzie Guillen can make some roster moves to accommodate some player injuries, but those two must stay healthy in order for the team to succeed.

Don’t Tease with the Ts: Twins and Tigers
Those earlier key points are in the hands of the team. The streaking Twins and the resurgence of the Tigers are out of their control, unless they are going head-to-head. The Sox have six homes games versus the Tigers and none against the Twins. Unfortunately, they face the Twins six times in the Metrodome and play Detroit at Comerica Park.

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The city of Chicago is spoiled by having two great teams atop their divisions at the All-Star break. While having the top spot at the halfway point is nice, it only matters if they have the same spot at the end of the season. One thing is for sure: I look forward to walking a few blocks and catching some Sox games to see if the second half can match the greatness of the first.

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