Chicago White Sox: Push panic aside, it’s postseason timeTim Healeyon September 29, 2020 at 5:30 pm

The Sox got a much-needed day off after 17 straight with no rest, and while dropping to the seventh seed and going on the road to face the Oakland Athletics in a best two-of-three series is less than ideal, it’s not all bad.

It would be nice to be at home and have the last at-bat, but without fans due to COVID19, home-field advantage is a bit different this year. The Sox will be able to send their two best pitchers – Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel – to the mound in the first two games. Aaron Bummer is back, and the win or go home nature of a short playoff series means the Sox will hopefully set up their bullpen in such a way that struggling arms won’t be called upon unless the Sox are winning/losing in a blowout.

Eloy Jimenez is expected to return, though he may just be a DH. Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert have shown signs of breaking out of slumps. And while the A’s are a formidable opponent and the Sox have a history of horrors in Oakland, at least the Sox aren’t drawing the red-hot Cleveland Indians or the always-tough Minnesota Twins for this round.

The lost last week or so of the regular season left a bad taste in many Sox’ fans’ mouths, but the playoffs start everything anew. The Sox can shake off the malaise. Maybe the team can even draw from anger about finishing as the seven seed and play with purpose.

At the very least, winning the World Series matters more than winning the division.

This is the beginning of the end of a weird and wild shortened season. A season that serves as a reminder of just how much of a grind a normal 162-game season is. This has been, comparatively, a sprint. The Sox have had some stumbles – at one point they were hanging around the .500 mark before getting hot – but maybe they’ll find their stride going into the postseason.

It’s the beginning of the end. The final act. Hopefully, the Sox draw the ending out all the way to a trophy.