The next 19-game stretch for the White Sox ... it's full of losing teams

We talked yesterday about how the White Sox had a mediocre 10-9 showing during a recently completed 19-game stretch against nothing but American League Central Division opponents.

Can they do better than 10-9 in this next stretch of 19 games? Here is the competition:

• 2 games at Colorado (43-53)
  
• 3 games vs. Oakland (35-63)
  
• 3 games vs. Kansas City (38-57)
  
• 4 games at Texas (43-51)
  
• 4 games at Kansas City (38-57)
  
• 3 games vs. Detroit (39-58)

Records in parentheses are entering Monday's play. As you can see, all the upcoming opponents are losing teams that are well back in the pennant race. The combined winning percentage of these teams is .410. This is the softest part of the Sox's schedule for the entire season.

So, you've probably heard what the optimists in the fan base have been saying: The Sox have one of the weakest remaining schedules in baseball, and that should set them up for a second-half run, so on, and so forth.

Well, this is the time to make up ground, right? I won't be shocked if the Sox just go 10-9 again, and even if that's all they can muster, they probably will still be in the division race. But, if they are serious about going to the playoffs, it might behoove the Sox to come up with 12 or 13 wins during this stretch.

We'll see how it stands on Aug. 14.