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With the aid of a rainout, the White Sox swept the Indians over the weekend. The Sox took Friday’s game 3-0 and Sunday’s game 4-2, while Saturday’s game was postponed. The sweep allowed the South Siders to move within 2.5 games of the second-place Tribe; it also leaves them 4.5 games back of the first-place Tigers, who visit the Cell for three games starting tonight.

I was traveling back from a wedding in Pittsburgh – no, not the Ben Roethlisberger nuptials – and listened to the game on XM radio, which offered only the Cleveland announcers. They seemed rather down on their team, but managed to insult the Sox just the same by talking about the Indians’ next opponent (the Angels) as having really good pitching, unlike the White Sox. I thought to myself, “Hey, you’ve scored two runs in two games. What does it take to qualify as good pitching in your book?” (Actually, I said it out loud, drawing the same look from my wife I always receive when I talk to the radio or TV.)

Announcers aside, Sox pitching deserves credit, but I’m more interested in the efficiency of their run production. Sunday, the Good Guys scored four runs on just six hits, a hits per run ratio of 1.50. On Friday, it was three runs on eight hits, for a 2.67 ratio. For the season, the club has needed 2.15 hits to score a run. Compare that to the Boston Red Sox who have the best record in the American League and have posted a 1.88 hits per run ratio. That means the White Sox are only 87% as efficient in scoring this season as the Red Sox. No surprise the Bosox are in first and the Chisox are in third in a weak division.

Go Sox! Get more efficient!