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They’re the hottest team in the American League, having won five in a row, and have beaten the Twins five straight. They’re 7-3 in their last 10 games, which is tied for the best in the majors. They’re three games over .500 for the first time since April 12 when they were 7-4. So may I introduce to you, the act you’ve known for all these years, Jerry Reinsdorf’s Lonely Hearts Club Band a/k/a The Chicago White Sox! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, your White Sox won again last night, 8-6, over visiting Minnesota.

Zach Stewart didn’t have it, lasting only 4.2 innings and surrendering all six runs and all seven hits. (Edwin Jackson, who went to the Cardinals in the Stewart trade, is 3-2 with a 3.99 ERA, which is pretty similar to his 7-7 and 3.92 stats with the Sox this year before being traded. Jackson is hitting 4 for 12 at the plate, which means he’s hitting twice as much as Adam Dunn. But I digress.)

Fortunately, the bullpen did have it, as Will Ohman, Jason Frasor, Chris Sale, and Sergio Santos shut down the Twins over the final 4.1 innings. Ohman got the win, Sale struck out four in his 2.0 inning stint, and Santos struck out the side and notched his 28th save.

And fortunately, the bats were alive again last night. The Sox racked up 10 hits to go along with their eight runs. Every starter except for Tyler Flowers picked up at least one, and Alexei Ramirez and Alex Rios both collected a pair. Alejandro De Aza continued his hot streak: a homer, two runs scored, and four driven in. Dayan Viciedo was a mere 1 for 3 (after going 2 for 3 in his first two games), causing his batting average to fall from .667 to .556. (I wonder if Carlos Quentin knows who Wally Pipp is. But I digress again.)

The only problem last night was that the Tigers tied their game with the Royals at 1-1 in the eighth and won it with a run in the tenth. Had KC hung on the Sox Magic Number would be down to 33 and they’d be only 4.0 behind Detroit. As it is, the MN is 34 and they’re 5.0 back of the Central Division leaders. By the way, the Tigers have also gone 7-3 over their last 10, so the Sox have gained no ground over that stretch. But in the words of Hawk Harrelson, “Don’t stop now, boys.” Go Sox!