Ventura maintains focus on day's game

KANSAS CITY -- As far back as SoxFest at the end of January, White Sox manager Robin Ventura not only talked about the playoffs as the ultimate goal for 2015 but also embraced the challenge. But as a disappointing regular season winds down, Ventura won't discuss his feelings on this campaign until it officially comes to a close.

"For right now, I'm not even looking at disappointment or joy or anything. Right now is trying to win today's game," Ventura said before the White Sox completed a three-game sweep of the first-place Royals on Sunday with a 7-5 victory. "It doesn't do us any good to reflect or do anything else except concentrate on today's game, and that's the main focus for everybody in the room. I'm not looking at October until we're officially over with the season.

"You continue to win games. At the end, you'll know where you're at when you get closer to the end. Right now, we need to prepare for these games and try to win today's game. It doesn't do anybody any good to look around and look at the end of September."

Inconsistency has been the only constant for the White Sox. They put together impressive stretches such as this weekend series in Kansas City or the seven-game road winning streak leading into the July 31 non-waiver Trade deadline, only to follow up those runs with extended streaks of subpar play.

The White Sox understand they have been their own biggest obstacle this season.

"Yeah, very hot and cold," said White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham after Saturday's victory. "Just seems like we get hot and we get cold and there's not a lot of in between.

"But you know, the great part of it is we are never out of it. I don't think we've let down at all. We might have let down a little bit on the field but our hearts are in the right spot and trying to compete every day."