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OAKLAND, Calif. — The Chicago White Sox continued to learn throughout June that good pitching only goes so far.
They ranked fourth in the majors with a 3.39 ERA in June entering Friday. But offensively, they were 26th with a .226 batting average. That contributed to a 13-12 June record ahead of the final game of the month against the Athletics at Oakland Coliseum.
The Sox offense came to life in the final two games against the Los Angeles Angels, scoring a combined 20 runs in victories Wednesday (11-5) and Thursday (9-7). That compares to 32 runs in their previous 11 games.
The Sox still have a long way to climb out of their disastrous 7-21 start. At 36-47, they are 4 1/2 games out of first place in the underperforming American League Central.
“Obviously we are not where we want to be,” Sox starter Dylan Cease said after Monday’s 2-1 loss at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. “We haven’t won as many as we would have liked to. I actually think we’ve played pretty well of late. Much better than we were earlier in the year.
“It’s unfortunate that we got off to such a slow start because I do really feel like we’ve been playing well.”
June featured seven consecutive series against teams with records above or at .500. The Sox went 10-12.
July isn’t as daunting, but presents some challenges and opportunities. And the Aug. 1 trade deadline will be a topic of discussion and speculation along the way.
Here’s a look at what’s ahead.
The Sox played just three games against a division opponent in June, sweeping the Detroit Tigers at the beginning of the month.
If they have any hope of making a move in the Central, the Sox have to continue to perform well in the division.
They have two series against division opponents in July, going to Minnesota July 21-23 and facing Cleveland July 27-30 at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Twins and Guardians entered Friday tied for first, both two games under .500.
The Sox are 15-11 against the Central this season, splitting six games against the Twins and winning four of six against the Guardians.
Cleveland third baseman José Ramírez is 1-for-12 (.083) in three games against the Sox this season (he was on the bereavement list for the first series).
Minnesota’s Byron Buxton has two homers and four RBIs in 19 at-bats against the Sox in 2023.
The A’s have the worst record in baseball. The St. Louis Cardinals are last in the National League Central.
Those are two of the first three teams the Sox play in July.
First, the Sox will wrap up the three-game series at Oakland Coliseum. Then they’ll return home for two series before the All-Star break, facing the Toronto Blue Jays and Cardinals.
The Sox will be immediately tested after the break, going on a three-city, nine-game trip. The first stop is Atlanta (July 14-16), where the Braves have the second-best record in the big leagues (53-27).
The Braves put up eye-popping numbers in June. They came into Friday with 55 homers, a .302 team batting average and 159 runs — all tops in baseball for the month.
The Braves offense doesn’t take long to show up: they have 76 first-inning runs, the most in the majors.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is second in the majors in OPS (.993) and stolen bases (36). The outfielder is one of three Braves selected to start in the All-Star Game, joining catcher Sean Murphy and shortstop Orlando Arcia.
The Sox also play the Mets (July 18-20) and then the Twins during the trip.
The Sox and Cubs were both in fourth place in their respective divisions entering Friday.
The Cubs are much closer to .500 (37-42), while the Sox are actually a little closer to first in the standings (the Cubs began the day five games out in the NL Central).
There’s always buzz around the City Series. The opening round this year (July 25-26 at Guaranteed Rate Field) has the added intrigue of occurring the week preceding the trade deadline. The Sox conclude that week — and the month — with the four games against the Guardians.
Plenty could change for both the Sox and Cubs between now and then. But one thing is certain, there will be tons of speculation on both sides of town with the trade deadline looming.
