What a roller-coaster ride it has been.
From 9.5 games out and nine games under .500 to sole possession of first place thanks to a 25-5 record to close out the first half.
At 49-38, the White Sox are where many predicted the team to be before the season began, but no one could have predicted the road the team would take.
The White Sox have lost one series since June 1 with winning streaks of 11 and currently eight during this 30-game stretch. All that and the team is just a half-game up on the Detroit Tigers.
The White Sox dug themselves into a big hole and climbed out of it, but with Jake Peavy out for the season and only the second-best run differential in the American League Central, the White Sox have a long way to go.
Sitting at second in the league in saves shows that this first half could have been completely upside down with a couple of bad bounces or bombs from the opposing team.
The White Sox are still below average in batting average (19th), on-base percentage (16th), and runs (18th) in baseball. But the team is fifth in home runs, and that, along with a resurgence in starting pitching, has the team back in contention.