Quit the World Series talk; the White Sox need to find a way to win a game

There's a headline on whitesox.com right now that reads, "White Sox vision: Win the whole thing." 

Good grief. 

Cleveland's offense stinks, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. The Sox are the best team in the AL Central, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. The Sox are legitimate championship contenders right now, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Just shut up. 

The Sox have won absolutely nothing so far, and I'm not convinced they will win anything. They've now lost four out of five games since they clinched a postseason bid last Thursday, and they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory Tuesday.

The Sox were one strike away from a 3-2 win against the Indians, but instead, Jose Ramirez hit a three-run homer off Jose Ruiz to lift the Indians to a 5-3 victory over the Sox in 10 innings.

Yes, you read that right. Ruiz, the 14th man on a 14-man pitching staff, a fringe player who has been at the alternate site in Schaumburg for most of the season, was the reliever summoned to try to get out Cleveland's best hitter with the AL Central title possibly at stake.

To the surprise of nobody, Ramirez launched a center-cut 2-2 fastball into the seats in right-center field to end the game.

If the Sox close that out, the Indians are five games out with five to go, and you could basically leave them for dead. Instead, they are three games out, and they have their two best pitchers -- Shane Bieber and Zach Plesac -- set to go against the Sox the next two days. We better hope Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel can match them, or else the Indians will be within one with three to play by the time Thursday night rolls around.

Did we mention the Indians close the season with three games against the MLB-worst Pittsburgh Pirates?

Yes, Cleveland is still very much alive in the division race, and the Sox have nobody to blame but themselves. The Sox also have destiny in their own hands. They really just need to win one of the next two to turn the Indians away.

How about focusing on that instead of the World Series, boys?

And, oh yeah, the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-4, on Tuesday night. That means the second-place Twins are only a half-game behind now. 

The Sox could be out of first place by Wednesday evening if they can't find a win against Bieber, the AL's best pitcher. 

What a mess. The Sox have played themselves into a dangerous position. Typical of this stupid organization that talks a much better game than it plays. 

2019 version of Lucas Giolito shows up for White Sox

Lucas Giolito

Through the first five games of the season, White Sox starting pitchers had a collective ERA of 12.64. That's a good way to lose four out of five.

But Lucas Giolito put a stop to the madness Wednesday. The right-hander didn't get the win, but he tossed six innings of shutout ball, allowing only four hits. He struck out six, walked two and held the Sox in the game in an eventual 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Giolito continued his mastery vs. Cleveland. In his past three starts against the Indians, he's 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 20.2 innings pitched. He's the guy the Sox wanted on the mound to snap a three-game losing streak.

The biggest test for Giolito came in the bottom of the fourth, when the Indians placed runners at first and third with nobody out. But the Sox pitcher rallied to strike out Francisco Lindor on a high fastball. Carlos Santana then grounded into a 3-6-3 double play to end the threat.

Cleveland also loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, but Giolito got Santana to fly out on his final pitch of the night to keep the game scoreless.

It's a good thing Giolito was on, too, because Cleveland starter Zach Plesac was even better. The right-hander went eight shutout innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks. He allowed only three hits.

Fortunately, the Sox touched up Indians closer Brad Hand and right-hander Adam Cimber for four runs in the top of the ninth. The inning featured a leadoff double from Tim Anderson, sacrifice flies from Yasmani Grandal and Eloy Jimenez, and a clutch, two-out, two-run single from rookie center fielder Luis Robert.

Those extra two runs made the bottom of the ninth inning a little more tolerable, as Sox closer Alex Colome loaded the bases before finishing off the shutout. Aaron Bummer picked up the win in relief for the Sox.

Thursday will be an off day. The Sox will start a three-game series in Kansas City on Friday night.