Consider this portion of the August schedule a potential postseason appetizer for the Chicago White Sox.
The team has embarked on a test of 14 games in 15 days, all against playoff contenders. It started Thursday in a cornfield in Iowa. It will end on Aug. 26 in Canada.
Starter Dallas Keuchel made note of the schedule in mid-June.
“We’re going to have a tough stretch in August,” Keuchel said on June 15. “We’re playing a lot of great teams.”
The Sox couldn’t have scripted a better beginning, beating the New York Yankees 9-8 in the Field of Dreams game Thursday at Dyersville, Iowa. Sox shortstop Tim Anderson capped the memorable night with a game-ending two-run home run in the ninth.
“Baseball really hit a grand slam,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said before Saturday’s game against the Yankees at Guaranteed Rate Field. La Russa missed Thursday’s game, attending his brother-in-law’s funeral.
“It turned out to be a game that you think would have been scripted on a Hollywood movie lot or something, it was amazing,” he said. “Talking to the guys today, they were overwhelmed with the excitement, energy that was at the park.”
After suffering two walk-off losses to the Yankees while getting swept in a three-game series May 21-23 in New York, the Sox turned the tables Thursday.
The Sox are runaway leaders in the American League Central, entering Saturday with an 11-game edge. But much has been made of their record against teams above .500, which was 16-19 entering Saturday.
In addition to being swept by the Yankees, the Sox dropped all four against the Astros from June 17-20 in Houston.
But the Sox had success against the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays, two teams they will see again during this stretch, and took two of three from the Astros in the first series after the All-Star break at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The Yankees (63-52) have been affected by COVID-19, with new addition Anthony Rizzo among the players with a recent positive test, but they are still within striking distance of an AL wild-card spot, sitting 21/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox.
The White Sox-Yankees series wraps up Sunday. Here’s a look at what’s ahead for the Sox (records and stats are through Friday).
Monday-Thursday vs. the Oakland A’s
This will be the first meeting between the teams since the Athletics knocked the Sox out of the 2020 playoffs in three games in an AL wild-card series in Oakland.
The A’s (67-49) are leading the wild-card race, one game ahead of the Red Sox. They won seven straight before falling to the Texas Rangers 8-6 on Friday.
The A’s are batting .281 (99-for-352) this month, the second-best mark in the majors behind the Colorado Rockies (.295).
First baseman Matt Olson is third in the AL in OPS (.949) and slugging percentage (.571) and tied for third in home runs (29). Outfielder Starling Marte, acquired in a trade from the Miami Marlins, is slashing .397/.435/.552 in 13 games with the A’s.
The team’s 3.61 ERA leads the AL. The Sox are second at 3.63.
Friday-Sunday at the Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays (71-45) have the best record in the AL and a five-game lead in the AL East. They are 7-1 in their last eight games and a season-high 26 games over .500.
The Sox won two of three against the Rays in an entertaining June 14-16 series at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The finale was a one of the top games of the season, with the Sox building a five-run lead only for the Rays to tie the game late. The Sox won 8-7 in 10 innings on a walk-off single from catcher Yasmani Grandal.
The Rays are second in the AL with 604 runs. They have scored at least eight runs in each of their last seven games, a franchise record.
Sox nemesis Nelson Cruz has contributed with five home runs and 11 RBIs in 17 games since being acquired in a trade from the Minnesota Twins. The designated hitter homered against his former team Friday in Minneapolis.
Aug. 23-26 at the Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays (62-53) are 31/2 games behind the Red Sox for a wild-card spot, with wins in 12 of their last 17 games.
AL MVP candidate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the majors in OPS (1.025), is tied for the lead in RBIs (88) and runs (88) and second in the big leagues in home runs (35).
The Blue Jays lead the majors with 173 homers.
The Sox won two of three against the Blue Jays June 8-10 at Guaranteed Rate. Both teams have had key offensive players return since.
In the Sox’s case, it’s left fielder Eloy Jiménez and center fielder Luis Robert. For the Blue Jays, it’s George Springer. The center fielder, who was on the injured list May 3 though June 21 with a right quad strain, has 11 home runs in 28 games since the All-Star break.
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