CHICAGO — There are days the streaky White Sox look like contenders.
Then there are stretches like the four losses in five games heading into this week’s All-Star break that leaves Chicago looking like anything but.
The White Sox flirted with .500 much of the season and their current 45-50 mark is eight wins better than at last year’s break and six ahead of their pace after 95 games (39-56) in 2013.
Credit rookie Jose Abreu and left-handed pitcher Chris Sale for much of improvement and overachievement for a South Side team that lost 99 games last year.
Abreu, a 27-year-old first baseman from Cuba, tops the majors with 29 home runs and has twice been named American League rookie of the month and was also AL Player of the Month once. It’s hard to imagine much White Sox success without him.
Sale’s 8-1 record trails only Jose Contreras’ 9-0 first half record in 2006 among best starts in White Sox history. Sale has a 2.08 ERA through 14 starts and has struck out 102 while walking just 16.
Abreu, Sale and shortstop Alexei Ramirez were set to represent the White Sox at this week’s All-Star Game in Minneapolis. Sale was winner of the AL’s Final Vote contest.
Even with Sale, the White Sox rank near the bottom of the American League in ERA (4.17), saves (19) and walks and hits per inning pitched (1.39). And 12 blown saves are tied for third most in the league. Closer Ronald Belisario (3-6) has struggled with a 6.35 ERA and just eight saves in 38 appearances.
Chicago stands 10 1/2 games behind first place Detroit, which seems poised to run away with the division in the second half.
So the only hopes for postseason lie with a wild card berth. And right now the White Sox are seventh in the wild-card standings, 6 1/2 games behind the co-wild card leading Angels and Mariners.