Ventura hopes to see more positives during stretch run

KANSAS CITY -- Whether you're in a playoff chase or confined to the role of spoiler, winning always beats the alternative. The revamped White Sox had the opportunity to enjoy an off-day on Monday with a three-game winning streak and a 9-5 mark over their last 14 games.

It's a trend that manager Robin Ventura would love to see continue over the final six weeks of the season.

"It's just better," Ventura said before his club posted a 2-0 victory over the Royals for their fourth straight win on Tuesday night. "When you win games, it changes the mood and the feeling when you go into a game. Guys are looking more for good things to happen instead of bad things to happen. Just because you do it at the end doesn't guarantee it will happen at the beginning of [next] year. But again, it's just good to get this group playing well and expecting to win."

If the White Sox are going to finish strong, they'll have to get it done against quality opponents. The South Siders began a stretch on Tuesday in which they will play 23 of their next 26 games against teams above .500. During that stretch, the White Sox will play each first-place team in the American League -- Boston, Detroit and Texas.