Ramirez not focused on streaking

ARLINGTON -- Helping the White Sox win games took complete precedence over the franchise-record 17 game hitting to start a season put together by Alexei Ramirez, which ended during Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Rangers.

But in the ninth inning Thursday, with the streak on the line against Boston closer Koji Uehara and the White Sox trailing by two, Ramirez briefly thought about his run of offensive success.

"In the case of the Boston game, yes I thought about it when I went in there," said Ramirez through translator and White Sox manager of cultural development Lino Diaz. "There is a big God out there looking out for me. It helped me a whole bunch.

"I'm thinking about the team first. What I'm doing is there, but first of all I'm thinking about the team. Everything else comes second."

Dating back to Sept. 24, 2013, Ramirez owned a 21-game hitting streak that is the 10th longest in White Sox history (non single season). Carlos Lee holds the franchise mark of 28 in 2004.

Ramirez, who was a career .231 hitter over 128 games in March/April, exited Saturday's 0-for-4 showing with a .357 average.

"He was hot. He was swinging and hitting stuff hard. Even last night, he battles every time up there," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura of Ramirez. "Eventually those things come to an end, and somebody like him, he'll start one tomorrow. I don't think this is going to bother him as far as it's going to change anything."