CHICAGO (MCT) - The White Sox survived their share of choppy waves to finish the first half in first place in the American League Central. | MLB page

Whether they can hold off division contenders Minnesota and Detroit could be dictated by the following five keys:

Get healthy, stay healthy

The Sox kept their hold on first place despite losing closer Bobby Jenks for the final two weeks of the first half and avoided a scare when catcher A.J. Pierzynski suffered only a left ankle bruise Saturday.

"Health," manager Ozzie Guillen said is the main key of the second half. "That's it."

Jenks' loss caused the Sox to alter their bullpen, with Scott Linebrink moving from his comfortable set-up role. He eventually was shut down, too, for the final five games of the first half because he was used frequently during Jenks' absence.

Keeping Pierzynski strong is essential, especially because the Sox have only two days off in the second half until Aug. 21, and they have three three-city trips in the second half.

Stay poised

The Sox seem at peace, mostly, when they're on the field.

"Stay away from the rumors," Guillen said of the Sox's second-half fortunes that could be saturated with trade reports.

Guillen already has called out the offense after a three-game losing streak in Tampa Bay. Guillen and shortstop Orlando Cabrera settled their differences after a dispute in late May, and Cabrera and Jermaine Dye quickly doused their dugout brush fire last week in Kansas City.

The Sox have their share of individual issues coming up, from the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline to the potential free agent status of Jim Thome, Joe Crede and Cabrera.

The objective should remain singular - winning.

Start fast

The Sox thought they had an excellent chance of overtaking Detroit in the second half two years ago, only to lose seven of their first eight and fall 6½ games back. They never got closer than three games.

During last year's 90-loss season, the Sox lost eight of their first 12 to start the second half and fell 16½ games out.

The Sox need a strong home springboard against Kansas City and Texas because they open their first trip of the second half at Detroit and Minnesota.

Thome, Konerko search parties

Thome has made adjustments by hitting more to left field and left-center, and that has helped produce a 24-point improvement in his batting average in just his last six games.

But after a four-hit game Saturday, Paul Konerko went 0-for-6 Sunday to end the first half with a .217 batting average. That resurrected the possibility Guillen could revert to the lineup that produced a 13-7 record when Konerko was injured.

"I'm happy we've done as well as we have without them producing, but it's encouraging knowing we can be even better than we've been in the last month or so," hitting coach Greg Walker said of the potential upside if Thome and Konerko return to normal production.

Return on rotation

After considering Javier Vazquez to open the second half, Vazquez won't make his first start of the second half until Monday after an 11-day break.

Vazquez follows Jose Contreras, who has an 8.60 ERA in his last seven starts. As recently as late May, Contreras had won three straight games and possessed a 2.76 ERA.

This marks the first time Gavin Floyd and John Danks will pitch in the heat of a pennant race, so it will be up to the entire rotation to regain some of that first-half dominance that helped vault the Sox to first place.

(c) 2008, Chicago Tribune. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.