White Sox Get Into Scuffle, Lose AL Central Lead

Things don't get much uglier than this.

It's pretty safe to say that White Sox fans can officially push the "panic" button after a 14-3 drubbing at the hands of the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. It was a game in which the White Sox threw more hay-makers than they did unhittable pitches.

The loss ended a critical 10-game road trip at 4-6. Just to think things started off so promising after taking the first two games in Detroit over a week ago. But eight games and six losses later, the White Sox are staring at a half game deficit in the AL Central with a load of pitching problems.

Two months ago things seemed so different. The White Sox enjoyed a six and a half game lead in the division and people were calling their pitching staff amongst the best in baseball. They're late inning relievers were automatic with Octavio Dotel in the seventh, Scott Linebrink in the eighth, and Bobby Jenks in the ninth. But Linebrink's been battling the always-scary arm problems and his status the rest of the season remains in doubt.

Meanwhile, the steady arms of Matt Thornton, Boone Logan, and the since-departed Nick Masset have been anything but steady and the team ERA has jumped to 3.91, sixth in the American League.

Couple that with the fact that the team that knocked the White Sox out of first for the first time since May 17 did so with their beleaguered ace back in prime form for the first time in nearly two years. Suddenly it looks like a rotation featuring Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, and Kevin Slowey looks a lot stronger than one featuring Mark Buehrle, Javier Vazquez, John Danks, and Gavin Floyd.

As stated in a previous article, the White Sox's acquisition of Ken Griffey Jr. was not, by any means, a bad move by the general manager. Even if Griffey doesn't pay off and the team continues down its current trend it wasn't a bad move because there was nothing given up for his services.

That being said, Williams' biggest mistake could be the deals he didn't make. With Linebrink's health in doubt and the rest of the bullpen struggling, it's a wonder Williams didn't address more pressing needs and acquire a cheap, yet solid, middle reliever. There was a huge market for middle relievers and while teams like the Yankees made moves to bolster their bullpen, the White Sox stood pat.

It's possible the team could have dealt for the likes of a Chad Cordero from Washington, any Seattle Mariner, or any Pittsburgh Pirate, as they were looking to unload heavily. But Williams was unable to pull the trigger and the team may pay the price.

One thing is for sure—good teams go through their share of adversity during a season, and the truly playoff-ready teams persevere. The White Sox are undoubtedly hitting their roughest part of the season right now. If they can come out of it still within minimal games of first place then they'll still have a fighter's chance.

The next couple of weeks will be critical for the White Sox, and will likely determine how they finish the season. Will they be drifting further and further from the top or will they continue fighting with the Twins for the AL Central crown?

One thing's for sure—they know how to fight.