Abreu: Struggling White Sox 'relaxed' after clinching playoff berth

The Chicago White Sox are struggling with the playoffs approaching, losing four straight games after being one of baseball's best teams this season.

Veteran first baseman Jose Abreu believes he knows why his team is in a funk.

"After we clinched, we relaxed a little bit," Abreu said before the White Sox lost to the Indians on a walk-off home run for the second consecutive night on Wednesday, according to The Athletic's James Fegan.

"That was why we got in this moment," he continued. "But like I said before, for good things to happen, you need bad things to push you."

The White Sox have lost their grasp on the AL Central lead following five losses in their last six contests after the club clinched its first postseason berth since 2008 on Sept. 17.

Chicago is hitting just .194/.266/.368 since clinching, with its hitters striking out in 32% of their at-bats.

The pitching staff isn't helping much, either. White Sox starters have combined for a 5.84 ERA, 6.67 FIP, and 6.57 BB/9 since Sept. 18.

"Pretty rough," ace Lucas Giolito said of the team's mood following Wednesday's loss. "A walk-off homer two nights in a row is not a good feeling."

"I think that having this little stretch here is a bit of that wake-up call. It shows us that we're not invincible every time we go out," Giolito added. "We still go out onto the field with the intention to win that game. But things are going to be tough at times and it's going to take us kind of picking each other up where we need to and believing in ourselves to get out of it."

The White Sox sit a half-game back of the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central with four games left this season, including one against the division-rival Indians on Thursday. Chicago then ends its campaign with a three-game series against the crosstown Chicago Cubs.