Heat is On

Winning seven of ten is usually enough to put some space between a first place team and it's nearest pursuer.  But the White Sox have actually seen their lead over the Twins shrink by two games in that span, thanks to Minnesota's eight straight victories.

Thanks for all the help, Seattle.

Can't complain, really, considering the Mariners were similar dog food while at the Cell.  And you can bet there are those up north wondering how the Twins' blistering run can still have them sitting in second.

13 of the Sox' next 17 games are against the Tigers and Twins -- a doubleheader in Detroit tomorrow starts an eight-game road trip -- and a historically hot Chicago summer gets stoked further by AL Central drama.

Ken Williams said two weeks ago that the non-waiver trade deadline is just that.  There can be deals completed via the waiver process, and I will not be surprised to see another bat added via trade or outright claim.

Blake DeWitt is the Cubs' new second baseman, and he's a shrugworthy addition to a slackwater team.  The deal seemed to be about the two pitching prospects.

We'll know about Antti Niemi soon enough, with Marty Turco on standby to replace him if they can't make the numbers work.

And the Bears have their first pulled hamstrings of training camp.  Does the tracking of Jay Cutler's completion percentage in drills seem a bit much, even for this town?

We digest the weekend today -- Second Half at 3:30, Roar of the Day at 5:30 and the latest news from Bourbonnais.