In pounding the Royals yesterday, the White Sox moved into sole possession of first place for the first time this season?  Why? Because this team is finally clicking on all cylinders.  The starting pitching? Outstanding.  The bullpen? Shut down.  The offense? Bombs away. Add to it the improved speed and defense that Ozzie Guillen demanded and you'll finally see the fruits of Ozzie's and Kenny Williams' labors.  This is what they had in mind all along, it just took a while to get the party started.

So, what will it take for the Sox to remain on top in the second half and earn a birth in the playoffs?  Here's one man's opinion:

• The Hits Must Keep On Coming: Now that Carlos Quentin seems to have returned to 2008 form, the Sox boast a pretty stout lineup of sluggers.  Getting through Rios, Konerko and Quentin will not be easy, provided Rios and Paulie can stay hot.  The Sox are also getting good support from Omar Vizquel, The Cuban Missile and recently, A.J. Pierzynski.  If Gordon Beckham can put himself back together, the lineup is pretty formidable.  And the bench, led by Andruw Jones, Brett Lillibridge and the mighty Cuban Sandwich will help too.  I freely admit I was totally wrong on the Cuban Sandwich.  He's a damn fine ballplayer when he's not wearing a fielder's glove.
• Five Hole Can't Be A Black Hole: The Sox need to find an answer for the absence of Jake Peavy.  Daniel Hudson had no curveball yesterday and the second time around, the Kansas City offense took advantage of the fact that everything he was throwing was straight and thigh high.  Hudson gets a mulligan for yesterday as he got to the park late and it was his first start, but should he falter in Seattle and Oakland, Kenny needs to fix it, even if that means calling Jim Hendry. The Sox also have to hope Gavin Floyd continues his torrid pace and that Freddie Garcia doesn't turn into a pumpkin.
• Juan The Bases: Juan Pierre continues to steal bases for the Sox.  While many fans were bemoaning the absence of Scott Podsednik, Pierre is better on defense and is superior to Pods on the bases.  He needs to keep getting on and taking advantage of opposing pitchers.  Alex Rios, Alexi Remoras and Gordon Beckham also need to continue to swipe some bags.
• Penned Up Anxiety: If the Sox lack one thing, it's a long guy.  While Tony Pena has done well in that role, a legitimate long reliever would help on on those nights when things don't go according to script.  Beyond that, the Sox must keep Bobby Jenks healthy and guard against burning out Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz.  The Sox also need Sergio Santos to continue his good work.
• Don't Worry About The Other Guy: Just because the guy across the diamond's uniform says "Red Sox" "Yankees" or "Twinkies, is no reason to be intimidated.  After all in June and so far in July, the Sox are baseball's best team.  Just go out and play the way you've been playing and it will all work out.
• Get A Quicker Start: Obviously, the White Sox need to start the second half like they ended the first half and not like they started it.  What bettter way to say "we're for real" than winning three of four against Minnesota this weekend.

One final observation: In a couple of weeks, Mark Teahen will be coming off the DL, which poses a big problem for the White Sox.  Not to be mean, but the winning streak began around the time Teahen got hurt.  The question is, what kind of roster move do you make and who do you release or demote?  You need Andruw Jones, if only for his arm and his glove, Mark Kotsay has value as a backup first baseman and perhaps clutch hitter down the stretch and I'd hate to see the Cuban Sandwich go because I really like him. So, what do you do?  That may be one of the most interesting scenarios of the second half.