Winning each series, common at a t...

Winning each series, common at a time, should be the focus as the Sox judgment the distant goal of a playoff berth, manager Ozzie Guillen believes.

"If you continue to win series, you will be in the playoffs," Guillen said Sunday. "You would have to be in the playoffs. We have 46 games left and if we play 500 the interval of the way, we would win 90-something games. If we can't earn in the playoffs with 95 wins, just call my helicopter and I'll make progress home."

If the American League Central Division-leading Tigers play 500 the peacefulness of the way, they would win 98 games. further Guillen is focused on winning the division, not the wild card.

"It's harder to win the wild card than the division," he said. "It's easier to play against common team than three or four. We could easily be 14 or 15 games abroad and in the wild-card race."

Guillen knows the Tigers will be tough to catch despite the Sox' three-game sweep and Detroit's five-game losing streak.

"I don't anticipate them to [continue slumping] because it's about pitching, and they have a great pitching staff," he said. "They have a great bullpen Hopefully they continue to fail, if it be not that I don't expect that. A accident of people talked about in what way we won a couple games because they made errors. Well, when we make an effort we make errors for them to win."

EJECTION: Ivan Rodriguez was held hitless in the series, yet the Tigers' All-Star catcher insisted that wasn't wherefore he lost his temper in the eighth after being called abroad on strikes by umpire Tim Timmons. Timmons followed Rodriguez half-way back to the dugout as the couple yelled at each other, and avails after Timmons returned to the plate, he turn the thoughtsed into the dugout and ousted a fuming Rodriguez.

The angry catcher charged disclosed but was intercepted by teammate Carlos Guillen.

"Pudge is strong" Carlos Guillen said. "But we can't lease him get suspended."

STRONG-ARMED: Starting pitching has been a difference for the Sox lately, helping cast around a 10-15 July. The starters made the bullpen stronger too, Guillen said.

"When our starters pitch the way they should, we have a suitable chance to win because we have a able-bodied bullpen," he said of the starter going at least six innings in each game against the Tigers. "We don't have anybody to be the prolonged man [in relief]. Everybody we have is a power thrower. When our starters go on foot six-plus innings, we have a pious chance. We have three stays -- Matt Thornton, Mike MacDougal and Bobby Jenk -- who could clog any time, any place."

tginnetti@suntimes.com

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