By Woodrow Carroll
Just when things were starting to get dark for the Chicago White Sox, a ray of sunshine appeared last weekend.
Having dropped three straight games in Toronto and the opener of a three-game series with the host Tampa Bay Rays, the future was starting to look bleak for the White Sox. A fifth straight defeat was in the works the Sox Trailing 2-0 late in the Saturday, June 4 game with the Rays, the Sox pushed across three runs and held on for a 3-2 victory. It was a reverse Sunday, June 5. After taking a big, early, lead, the Sox held on for a 6-5 victory.
The two one-run victories over Tampa Bay left the Sox with a 25-27 record. The Sox’ record through Sunday, June 5 was a far cry from last season when the Sox closed the regular season with a 93-69 (.574) record and championship of the American League Central by 13 games over runner-up Cleveland.
Six home games were on tap for the White Sox this week, three interleague play with the Los Angeles Dodgers followed by three with the Texas Rangers Friday through Sunday.
The runs scored by the White Sox as opposed to runs by opposition teams, it is obvious the Sox were lucky to be only two games under .500. Through Sunday, the Sox had scored 190 runs and opponents 246. It is a rather large disparity for a team only two games under .500.
The Chicago Cubs, meanwhile, through Monday, June 6 were in fourth place in the five-team National League Central with a 23-32 records.
The Sox, playing in a division that is not held in high regard, the American League Central, may not be much of a drawback, either.
Of the six division champions in 2021, the Atlanta Braves, of the National League East, had the worst record of any division champion. The Braves were 88-73 (.547) at the conclusion of the regular season. The Braves were safely in front in their division, however, the oddsmakers largely dismissed their chances to prevail once the playoffs commenced. Atlanta had other ideas!
Once the playoffs got under way last season, the Braves sizzled. Not once in the 2022 playoffs were the Braves forced into a win-or-go-home game in which a defeat would eliminate the Braves from the playoffs. In the World Series, the Braves defeated the Houston, four games to two.
The Major League Baseball (MLB) playoff structure for this season might be in the Sox favor. The three division champions in each league will be in the playoffs Then it gets a bit tricky. The three best non-division champions make the playoffs, which is six teams from each league.
Using the American League as the template, at the present time all three wild card (non-division champions) teams would be from the American League East, Toronto, Tampa Bay, and Boston.
The three non-division teams will be joined by the division champion with the poorest won-loss record, which today would be Minnesota.
Where once the World Series once featured the champion of the American League against the champion of the National League, today’s MLB playoffs incorporate 12 clubs in postseason play. When 12 teams are in the playoffs usually several teams are mediocre, or, waiting to sizzle, such as the Braves did last season..
Take note! Through Sunday, the White Sox were only one game in back in the wild-card picture, even with a 25-27 (.481) record. With the complex playoff structure that MLB has in place, good things and bad things can happen in a hurry.