CLEVELAND -- Robin Ventura is not an outwardly emotional manager.
He doesn't swear or have public outbursts after tough losses or poorly played contests. And there have been a number of chances for that to happen with the White Sox manager over the past few years, not to mention this 10-25 drought they have hit entering Sunday's series finale against the Indians at Progressive Field.
But to think Ventura is indifferent or not moved by the White Sox drop from 13 games over .500 (23-10) and having a six-game lead in the American League Central on May 9 to their fourth-place standing would be an incorrect assumption.
"Part of it is tough. You go through tough stretches like this. But for me, it's about these guys and being able to come in here and get something out of it that day," Ventura said. "Anything that has happened the day before, it kind of matters, but it doesn't matter for today.
"Today is about bringing some positive, being able to win a game today, to be able to move forward and do something. But personally it's tough. Absolutely. We're trying to find something positive and that's what you do. It doesn't do any good to come in here and mope around."
The White Sox are 5 1/2 games and six losses behind the AL Central-leading Indians following Sunday's 3-2, 10-inning loss in Cleveland. They travel to Boston for a four-game set beginning on Monday, and then host Toronto for three, meaning life isn't getting any easier.
So it's up to Ventura and the veteran players to guard against a feeling of the season being over because of this prolonged slump. It's still a division with four teams separated by five losses.
"You guard against that. But for a lot of these guys that have been around a while, you realize you can go through tough stretches and excruciating stretches," Ventura said. "But if you get hot, you can get right back in it. Again, haven't felt like the offense has ever caught fire to where it has been in a hot streak: Definitely not there of late with the pitching. We'll eventually get there, but you don't want to wait too long."