Dallas Keuchel threw down the gauntlet in February at the start of spring training in Glendale, Ariz.
“If it’s anything short of the playoffs, then it’s a failure,” the newly signed Chicago White Sox pitcher said of the 2020 season.
But now comes the hard part, trying to nail down the American League Central and secure a higher seed and a wild-card series on the South Side.
As expectations for the Sox rose incrementally during this pandemic-shortened season, the pressure to live up to the hype increased as well. And heading into Wednesday’s game in Cleveland with four losses in five games since the clinching, it looked a lot like the Sox had inexplicably taken their foot off the gas.