88

The only good news about the White Sox's first-half performance is that the team is well rested after the All-Star break. Unlike last year when it seemed like half the team was involved with the game, this season only Bobby Jenks was there -- and he didn't play. Well, the rest seemed to do some good as the Sox offense exploded for nine runs and 15 hits. Every starter except Juan Uribe had at least one base knock and the middle of the order was particularly productive. Nos. 3-5 batters, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, and A.J. Pierzyski, each had two hits and an RBI, with Thome cracking his 15th homer of the season and 487th of his career (barring injury, he should make 500 this year; 13 more dingers in 2.5 months is certainly doable). Nos. 6 and 7, Jermaine Dye and Rob Mackowiak, each collected three hits and two RBIs, with Dye popping his 13th homer of the year and finally going into attack mode at the plate.

All of this inured to Jon Garland's benefit. Garland garnered (alliteration, as always, appreciated) his seventh win (against six losses) by throwing seven innings of two-run, eight-hit, two-walk ball. The leaky sieve of a bullpen, however, did its best to fritter away the seven-run lead that Garland handed them. Matt Thornton, one inning, no runs, three Ks, and Jenks, one batter, one pitch, one save (his 24th) are guilty only by association with Dewon Day and Boone Logan, the real culprits. In the ninth, Day gave up four hits in a row and four runs, and Logan gave up two hits and a run, providing the Orioles hope for the game and the rest of the series.

With the win and Detroit's loss, the Sox sliced the Magic Number to 88 and the Tigers' lead to 12 games. The win was the third in a row and the 11th out of the last 16. If the team wins 11 out of the next 16, however, it'll still be two games under .500. To reach that goal by the end of the month, the Sox will have to go 13-5. It may be a tough order to fill because of whom we play -- after the O's, there are the Indians, Red Sox, Tigers, Jays and Yankees. But if the Sox are to make anything of this season, they have to start now. Go Sox!