The White Sox, a team that had lost 100 or more games three years in a row, finished the first half of the season 43-38 and leading the American League Central after a 2-1 victory Saturday against the Royals.
The Sox insist they expected something like this.
‘‘Everybody else can be surprised,’’ starting pitcher Davis Martin said. ‘‘We’ve had the talent. We have the people in the locker room and we have the people in the coaching staff and the support staff. We have everything we needed inside the building, and now we’re just putting it all together.’’
The Sox have gotten to this point because they can win in a variety of ways.
They can slug, as was shown in their 22-run outburst Friday and in a season highlighted by the power of Munetaka Murakami, Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas. They have turned Rate Field into a true home-field advantage, winning a franchise-record 10 consecutive series there.
The pitching hasn’t been as good as the offense, but there have been bright spots. Martin pitched 5⅓ scoreless innings and moved closer to his first All-Star berth. Despite a recent blip, Grant Taylor has been one of the better relievers in the majors. He was that Saturday, retiring all six batters he faced, striking out four and throwing 18 of 19 pitches for strikes.
‘‘I don’t know if I’ve ever done that,’’ Taylor said. ‘‘Pretty cool.’’
They’ve also shown a knack for drama, getting hits in the most important moments and taking advantage of the opponent’s mistakes. They also aren’t reliant on one person to come through.
Saturday was just the latest example, with the biggest at-bat coming from rookie Jacob Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, a first-round draft pick in 2023, came into the season having slipped down the Sox’ prospect rankings. He revived his career at Triple-A Charlotte and was called up when Murakami went on the injured list in late May with a strained right hamstring.
Gonzalez’s game-winning single past shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and a drawn-in Royals infield was the Sox’ seventh walk-off hit of the season from the seventh different player, including four rookies.
‘‘It’s special, and it seems fitting for our group,’’ manager Will Venable said. ‘‘We talk about [that] every night, that we’re getting contributions throughout the lineup [and] every guy that steps on the mound. It’s coming from everywhere every single night.’’
Gonzalez said the walk-off hit was the first of his life. He never had one in the minors, in college or even when he was a youngster.
‘‘Nope,’’ Gonzalez said. ‘‘It’s crazy.’’
The Sox capitalized on a crazy — and painful — Royals mistake.
With no outs and runners on first and second in the ninth, Braden Montgomery bunted to between home and third base. Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV fielded the ball and fired it to third baseman Nick Loftin to try for a force. Loftin couldn’t make the catch and was hit in the midsection and had to leave the game.
Two batters later, the Sox had won again.
‘‘Another series win,’’ Venable said. ‘‘That’s what we’re trying to do — stack as many of those up as possible. Obviously, getting this one is huge.’’
Now with a half-season to go, the question isn’t whether the Sox will lose 100 games or continue their three-year run of futility. It’s whether they are halfway to a division title that seemed improbable to anybody outside their clubhouse.
‘‘That’s my goal; that’s the goal of the rest of the clubhouse,’’ Taylor said. ‘‘We want to be playing in October, and we want to play as long as we possibly can.’’