Have the Chicago White Sox finally turned the corner? It’s a phrase that has been uttered many times this season only to watch them sputter and fall back into their old ways.

A 6-2 start to the season was followed by an eight-game losing streak. The White Sox won six in a row to kick off May, only to lose three of their next four games. An embarrassing weekend series against Baltimore followed a convincing series win against Toronto. This season has been the story of one step forward, three steps back.

But after an unexpected sweep of the San Fransico Giants, the White Sox find themselves just 4.5 games back of first place. They have a chance to close that gap with the Twins coming to town on Monday. Things feel different.

“This is the brand of baseball that the Chicago White Sox are all about,” Lucas Giolito told reporters after helping put the finishing touches on the sweep. “This series, we were kind of able to put our foot on the gas.

“When we play our best, we’re loose, we’re free, we’re having fun. And that kind of leads to being locked in, in every single moment.”

Getting It Done In Different Ways

The White Sox were able to get it done in various ways. On July 1st Lance Lynn spearheaded an intense pitching duel through six innings. With two outs and a scoreless tie in the ninth inning, Leury Garcia came up with the clutch RBI single to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead. It was all they would need as Kendall Graveman slammed the door in the ninth.

Garcia always seems to come up with two outs and runners in scoring position, and this season, he always seems to strand them. He is batting .170 with runners in scoring positions, so having him finally deliver in a big moment felt like luck was finally on the White Sox side.

A late-night RBI from Leury García!#ChangeTheGame | @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/BLfG2qDONZ

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 2, 2022

That luck carried over into the weekend. On Saturday, the White Sox won 5-3 after Joc Pederson misplayed a line drive off the bat of Gavin Sheets, resulting in a two-run double. Yoan Moncada and Leury Garcia tacked on a pair of RBIs to grow the White Sox’s.

Newly crowned AL Pitcher of the Month, Dylan Cease picked up where Lynn left off and tossed five solid innings. He labored at times but was able to limit the Giants to one run. The bullpen buckled but did not break, and the White Sox carried that momentum into Sunday.

While the White Sox were able to win the first two games, they did so despite going 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position. They made sure to capitalize on their opportunities in the series finale, putting up 13 runs. In the process, they logged seven hits.

Strong Run For Starters

The most postive sign was Lucas Giolitos preformance. Giolito owned a 7.67 ERA in June. But on Sunday, he returned to his usual dominant self, striking out seven of the first eight batters he faced. His changeup looked sharp as he used it for six of those punchouts. After six innings of work, he allowed just tone run on three hits.

Three consecutive strong showings from White Sox starters provided a reason for optimism. All three starters in San Francisco allowed a combined two runs and ten hits across 17 innings of work. The White Sox pitching staff owns a 4.06 ERA, which ranks 20th in the MLB. Last season the White Sox leaned on their pitching for success, riding the fifth-best team ERA (3.73) in baseball to 93 wins.

They call him Dealin’ Cease for a reason.

Dylan Cease has been named American League Pitcher of the Month for June, his first career monthly honor! pic.twitter.com/vEy7gepX22

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 2, 2022

Joe Kelly Pitching Back To Back

The bullpen also benefitted from having Joe Kelly available. Kelly pitched back-to-back games for the first time all season. Kelly’s contract stated that he could not pitch back-to-back games until July 1st in an effort to ease him back from an offseason injury. Sure enough, when the calendar flipped to July, La Russa used Kelly on July 1st and 2nd. Having him available more out of the bullpen will limit the amount of innings guys like Tanner Banks and Jose Ruiz will need to throw in critical innings.

Depth Pieces Stepping Up

The emergence of Seby Zavala has also provided the White Sox with a nice spark. Since getting called up, Zavala has easily been the White ‘ best offensive catcher this season. Zavala is hitting .313 with 11 RBIs, one home run, and a .833 OPS in 52 plate appearances this season. On Sunday, he recorded three hits and three RBIs.

Gavin Sheets has also quietly put together a solid stretch of bat-bats. In his last 15 games, he is hitting .286 with 12 hits, seven RBIs, and a home run. Having a productive left-handed bat in the lineup is an asset the White Sox were lacking the first half of the season.

For your viewing pleasure. #ChangeTheGame | @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/BZZOb5qlXE

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 2, 2022

While all of these things are positive developments, the true test to see if the San Fransico series was fools gold will be the White Sox homestand, starting with their series against Minnesota.

This is because the White Sox have been great on the road all season. Tony La Russa’s squad is 22-18 on the road this season, which is the fourth-best road record in the American League. The offense also owns a league-best .272 batting average on the road.

However, their performance at Guaranteed Rate Field has been a different story. The Southsiders are just 16-21 in front of their home fans this season. Their batting average also plummets to .233. This is something that manager Tony La Russa is confident the White Sox can turn around.

“I can guarantee you that those numbers are going to be reversed at home from here to the end,” La Russa said. “We’re going to be a good club at home.”

Actions speak louder than words.