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CHICAGO -- Paul Konerko, the Chicago White Sox’s ageless slugger, has not only picked up where he left off before getting hit in the face last week. He appears headed toward an MVP season. Konerko has produced base hits at a clip beyond baseball’s hottest early-season slugger Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers.

Consider that at age 35 while most hitters are beginning to slow down in their production, Konerko has improved his numbers and approach. He is now leading the American League with a .384 batting average. The White Sox captain also extended his hitting streak to 10 games while hitting his 10th home run on Thursday night. He has recently taken his game to a new level, going 16-for-24 with four home runs and 8 RBIs in his past seven games.

“In our offense everything we do well revolves around Paul “ said Alex Rios, who along with Konerko was one of five White Sox hitters to hit home runs in Thursday’s win over the Twins. “Everyone in our lineup is getting better pitches to hit because of his approach and his results.”

Konerko’s numbers are impressive enough to put him in the conversation for early MVP mention. He is first in the league in on-base percentage and second to Hamilton in slugging.

“I think he should be included every year in MVP consideration,” said A.J. Pierzynski. “He is very underrated even though he has been a great player for a long time. Unless you see him every day and see how he makes adjustments from pitch to pitch, it’s really amazing. He deserves more National credit than he gets.”

Konerko has not won an MVP, though he has twice finished in the top six in voting for the award (in 2010 and 2005).

CHICAGO – What Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko has done at the plate the past two days is nothing out of the ordinary for him.

Konerko slugged two hits on Tuesday and three more, including a home run, on Wednesday. He’s accumulated five hits in a two-day span plenty of times throughout his career. He registered six hits in two days a week ago.

But what does make Konerko going 5-for-8 at the plate in the last 48 hours remarkable is it was just Friday when he was nailed in the eye by an 85-mph pitch. It put him on the ground like a knockout punch and his eye ballooned shut nearly instantaneously, frightening him that his sight may be forever impaired. The injury wouldn’t be as serious as he feared, but he still had to be taken to the emergency room and forced to sit out Saturday’s and Sunday’s games.

As if nothing happened, Konerko returned Tuesday, dropped in two hits then added three more on Wednesday. With his five hits, his average rose to .381, which surpassed Josh Hamilton to lead the American League in hitting.

“I don’t know if you say you expect that, but I think sometimes you see a guy go through a season, you see the work he puts in and all that,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said after the White Sox’s 6-0 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. “He’s having a really good year. And be able to come back with what happened and still come back and swing the way he is, is nice.”

Adam Dunn has certainly been impressed, and his appreciation for Konerko’s hitting was already sitting on a mountaintop.

“I’ve said it all along he’s obviously one of the most consistent hitters,” Dunn said. “Obviously his numbers speak for themselves, but he’s just so consistent. To sit out for a couple games and not miss a beat not only shows he’s a tough guy, but he’s got a pretty sound approach up there.

“If (being hit by a pitch) is ever in the back of someone’s head, you’re in trouble as far as hitting. If you’re ever thinking about it, you’re done. Obviously, he’s not too worried about it.”

Konerko reiterated that. While under his left eye is colored in nearly every shade of purple you can find in a Crayola box, Konerko said his vision and bat haven’t been altered in any way since being hit by the pitch.

“I don’t even think I thought about it,” Konerko said. “Obviously, I can’t see it. Nothing is bothering me looking out. Until I look in the mirror, that’s the only time I see something is wrong with it.”

The funny thing is while Ventura, Dunn and others gush about Konerko’s hitting and he only trails David Wright in batting average in all of baseball, Konerko actually believes he hasn’t been swinging that well.

“I haven’t been dialed in,” Konerko said. “I think I’ve picked up a lot of hits here and there. Sometimes balls drop for you when you’re not that good. I try not to let that sway me to think I’m in a place that’s good. I keep working. I try to get to where to I want to get to.

“Whether you have the feeling you want, you’re grinding. If you don’t have it, you’re grinding to get it. If you have it, you’re grinding to keep it. Your head is always down grinding. That’s kind of the way it is. You just keep going, and you look up in November and see where you’re at.”

With that mentality, Konerko, of course, doesn’t care where his name is among the league leaders.

“Again, I’m not sure that ever matters, but it certainly doesn’t matter on May 23 or whatever the hell it is,” Konerko said. “You’re always thinking about what’s next. You’re always thinking about tomorrow’s game. Until the season is over, you’re engaged on what’s next. That’s the way it is.”

And with Konerko’s five hits in two days, that’s just the way he is whether he’s taken a pitch off the face or not.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox's emotions were thrown into a mixer over the last three days.

On Sunday, they celebrated a sweep of their cross-town rival, the Chicago Cubs.

On Monday and Tuesday morning, they mourned the passing of former White Sox pitcher and special coaching assistant Kevin Hickey during his wake and funeral.

On Tuesday evening, they were beaten handily by the Minnesota Twins, struggling equally offensively and defensively in a 9-2 loss at U.S. Cellular Field.

“They’ve been dealing with (Hickey’s medical situation) all year, but the finality of it with Hick…” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “We’ve been dealing with it all year, so guys have been able to put it aside when they play. It could (be a reason for today.)”

White Sox starting pitcher Gavin Floyd and first baseman Paul Konerko admitted Tuesday was a difficult day for their team.

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As far as scary moments go, Friday’s events for Paul Konerko were right there at the top of his most frightening times in the game.

The White Sox captain was concerned about possible vision loss after getting hit in the head by Jeff Samardzija.

“In the first 20 seconds I had blurred vision and was a little worried,” Konerko said. “Once I realized it was skin that had swelled up over the eye and not the eye itself I was OK in my mind.”

Konerko missed the last two games of the Cubs series over the weekend as he waited for the swelling and bruising to subside around his left eye.

“It was definitely tough not to play those other two games with the wind blowing out 100 mph,” Konerko said. “You don’t want to miss those ones, but that’s the game we play -- sometimes you get hit and have to sit out.”

Konerko totally exonerated Samardzija for the pitch. The Cubs pitcher called Konerko in the Sox clubhouse on Saturday afternoon to see how he was recovering.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko will return to the lineup Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins after being hit in the face by a pitch against the Chicago Cubs and missing the past two games.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko will miss his second consecutive game against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday after being hit by a pitch in the face in the series opener.

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The aftermath of hitting Chicago White Sox captain Paul Konerko with a pitch on Friday was a bit surprising to Chicago Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija.

The split-finger fastball that tailed up and in to Konerko’s face has been interpreted as a purpose pitch on some national television broadcasts.

“I think those things create a big stir when things actually do happen,” Samardzija said. “In those cases you have to use common sense and know that I have him 0-2 and I’m throwing a splitter at 84 mph. I am not trying to hit him, I want to strike him out. There are times that you look at (a hit by pitch) as pretty obvious what has happened. Mine definitely wasn’t (intentional), but you have to have something to talk about.”

Samardzija was so concerned about Konerko’s health that he checked updates on his condition and tried calling Konerko after batting practice Saturday.

“Knowing that I did not hit Paul intentionally helped me move on after the game,” Samardzija said. “I did have to get over the initial hump of seeing a guy you know and respect take one over the eye. That is one spot for baseball guys that is sacred, around your vision. I’m sure it was a scary one for him but I had to get over the fact. It was an accident. Everyone knows Paul is a tough guy and he will bounce back big. I got word is he is all right and will be back soon so I wish him the best.”

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CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko will be out of the lineup Saturday and will undergo further tests after being hit in the head by a pitch against the Chicago Cubs.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber and Chicago Cubs first baseman Bryan LaHair disagreed Friday whether Humber intended to throw at LaHair in retaliation for White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko being hit by a pitch.

Konerko was hit in the head by a splitter from Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija in the top of the third inning. Konerko suffered a small laceration above his eye and swelling and was taken to the hospital for testing. He did not return to the game.

After pitching to Samardzija and three other Cubs hitters in the bottom of the third, Humber’s first pitch to LaHair in the bottom of the fourth, a high fastball, soared behind LaHair’s head. The pitch resulted in home plate umpire Tim Timmons issuing warnings to both dugouts.

“That just got away from me,” Humber said. “It’s one of those things that happens during the game.”
LaHair didn’t see the pitch the same way.

“Definitely felt like it was intentional,” LaHair said. “They waited a whole inning and then the first pitch was right at my head. I'm all right with getting hit and stuff like that, I understand, but when you start getting around people's heads that can be scary. It is what it is. Nothing happened. I didn't get hurt or anything so move on from it.

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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Chicago White Sox desperately needed a strong outing from one of their starters. Chris Sale provided it.

The 23-year-old left-hander pitched effectively into the sixth inning and the White Sox capitalized on some shoddy defense by the Los Angeles Angels for a 6-1 victory Thursday.

After a three-game stretch in which starters John Danks, Jake Peavy and Gavin Floyd gave up a combined 18 earned runs over 14 1-3 innings, Sale (4-2) restored order in his sixth major league start. He struck out seven and was working on a three-hit shutout in the sixth when he gave up a one-out homer to Albert Pujols and a double to Mark Trumbo and was replaced by Nate Jones.

"It was nice to see Chris have a good start," Chicago first baseman Paul Konerko said. "He had that little thing where he got out of the rotation for a week and missed a turn, and I think there's no question that it kind of blew his rhythm -- because he didn't have a good game last time. So it was nice to see him get it back, because he was on his way to having a great year."

Sale joined lefty Steve Rosenberg (1989) as the only White Sox pitchers to give up three runs or less in each of their first six big league starts since divisional play began in 1969.

"I guess that's a cool stat, but it's obviously something I don't pay attention to at all," Sale said. "I have a job to do, and that's to go out and keep my team in the game, keep the other team to fewer runs on the board than the other starter and pitch deep into the game. That's my main focus."

A first-round draft pick in 2010, Sale was used exclusively in relief by the White Sox during his two previous seasons in the big leagues. Two of those relief outings were against the Angels, who got to see him again during spring training.

"He did a good job today and was pretty sharp, for the most part," Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick said. "He got outs and put up zeros, and that's what you want your starter to do. He's got a good two-seam fastball, he threw strikes and was able to get guys out with his breaking ball."

C.J. Wilson (4-4) threw 88 pitches in 3 2-3 innings and tied a career high with six walks. The left-hander was charged with four runs -- one earned -- and four hits. He also walked six Marlins batters on June 15, 2010, at Miami while pitching for the Texas Rangers.

"I had a little stomach virus today, so I couldn't really get anything going," Wilson said. "It was just weird. I almost passed out after the first inning. I didn't set a good tone, and that's pretty much my fault. I put the defense to sleep out there -- and the bats, too, I guess."

A.J. Pierzynski delivered a two-out RBI single in the third to open the scoring, after flying out with the bases loaded to end the White Sox first. He was 3 for 5 with two RBI singles, and is 29 for 70 in his last 19 games at Angel Stadium.

Chicago tacked on three unearned runs in the fourth with the help of two balls that should have been caught and weren't. Angels center fielder Mike Trout started in right for the first time this season due to the absence of nine-time Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter because of his son's arrest in Texas, and dropped a routine flyball by Dyan Viciedo with one out.

Viciedo ended up at second base on the error, and Wilson walked the next two batters before Adam Dunn chased the left-hander with a two-run single. David Carpenter came in and Konerko hit a popup to short right field, but the ball fell in front of Kendrick after he called off Trout. It was scored as an RBI single.

"It was right in the sun," Kendrick said. "I made a mistake and had my sunglasses on my hat, and I should have had them on there. But I still have to make that play, regardless. We can't allow that to happen. We've got to make plays and give the team the best opportunity to win. Today we missed some flyballs, and we've got to work on that."

In the fifth, Alexei Ramirez's blooper fell between Trout and Kendrick for a hit after a leadoff single by Pierzynski. Viciedo followed with a flyball to short center, where Peter Bourjos converged with Trout and Kendrick before making the catch -- resulting in a derisive cheer from the crowd of 30,786. Carpenter then fielded Brent Morel's comebacker and started a double play.

Viciedo led off the eighth with his sixth homer and third in a four-game span. Three batters later, three-time Gold Glove winner Vernon Wells scaled the fence in front of the left field bullpen and pulled back Gordon Beckham's bid for a two-run homer.

A quick look at the Chicago White Sox's 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

How it happened: The White Sox knocked out Angels starter C.J. Wilson with a three-run fourth inning. Adam Dunn drove home Dayan Viciedo and Brent Morel with a single to center and Paul Konerko scored Dunn on an infield single. Chris Sale got the win, scattering five hits over 5 1/3 innings and striking out seven. The Sox bullpen shut down the Angels the rest of the way. A.J. Pierzynski drove in two runs, one in the third inning and one in the ninth, and Dayan Viciedo hit a solo shot in the eighth. Albert Pujols' home run to center was the lone run for the Angels.

What it means: The Sox split a strange two-game West Coast trip against the Angels.

Outside the box: Sale came back strong after a rocky outing Saturday in Kansas City -- his first back in the rotation after temporarily being moved to closer.

Up next: The White Sox return home to Chicago, starting the Crosstown Classic at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon at 1:20 CT. Phil Humber (1-2, 5.77) will be on the mound for the Sox, opposing Jeff Samardzija (4-1, 2.89) for the Cubs.

CHICAGO -- The White Sox haven’t finished with a winning record in the AL Central since 2008, when they went 44-29 and captured the division title.

While they’re not even a quarter of the way through this season, Chicago is 9-9 in the division as it approaches the end of a stretch of 15 straight games against Central foes. The Sox have gone 5-8 during this stretch as the Tigers come to town for two games starting tomorrow.

The Sox won’t have such an opportunity to make consistent waves in the division until the end of the season, when they play 19 straight division games from the final day of August through the second to last week of September. When you consider that the Sox are just 2 1/2 games out of first place and the Tigers have yet to take off, as many projected, this 15-game stretch has been nothing short of a disappointment.

“Unfortunately we put ourselves in a spot where we play three, four, five games bad in a row but we seem to respond well when we do that,” first baseman Paul Konerko said. “Obviously we wish we didn’t do that as much but we seem to be able to cut a bad game or a bad series away pretty quick. We’ve done that pretty well this year so far. We’ll have to do that again here, bounce back and get after it tomorrow night.”

The Sox wasted a quality performance by Phillip Humber in Sunday’s 9-1 loss and mustered a season-low three hits in Saturday’s 3-0 loss. Prior to Saturday, the Sox won three straight by a combined score of 18-4. In the past two games alone the Sox have left 16 runners on base, going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and striking out 17 times. The Sox are 0-5-1 in their last six series.

“Offensively we have to pick it up,” Manager Robin Ventura said. “We have been leaving a guys on base. We had opportunities today. We have guys who are swinging it okay, but it’s just not coming through. You continue to grind. I know they are working, so just go at it....So, we are going to continue to grind and it’s going to turn around.”

A quick look at the Chicago White Sox's 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians in 10 innings at Progressive Field on Tuesday night.

How it happened: Paul Konerko led off the White Sox 10th with a single to left and two batters later Alex Rios tripled to drive home pinch runner Brent Lillibridge. Rios then scored on an Alexei Ramirez groundout. Sox starter John Danks sailed through the first seven innings before the Indians finally broke through with three runs in the eighth. The Indians Carlos Santana delivered the game-tying two-RBI hit off reliever Chris Sale. The White Sox had taken a quick lead in the first when Konkero and A.J. Pierzynski each drove in a run. Pierzynski added another RBI in the seventh.

What it means: The White Sox snapped a three-game losing streak and finally got another solid outing from a starter. Danks had allowed 13 runs combined in his previous two starts.

Outside the box: It was the White Sox’s first extra-inning victory of the year. They were 0-2 in extra innings entering Tuesday’s game.

Up next: In Wednesday’s finale of the four-game set, the White Sox’s Jake Peavy (3-1, 1.99 ERA) will face the Indians’ Jeanmar Gomez (2-1, 2.82 ERA) in a 6:05 CT start.

DETROIT -- A day after losing to Detroit on a ninth-inning homer, Adam Dunn and the Chicago White Sox returned the favor.

Dunn hit a two-run shot deep into the right-field seats off Jose Valverde in the ninth Saturday and Chicago went on to beat the Tigers 3-2.

Detroit defeated the White Sox 5-4 on Friday night when Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run shot with one out in the ninth. There was also one out when Dunn hit his 422-foot drive off Valverde (2-1).

"We needed to win this game today," Dunn said. "I definitely didn't want to chase anything -- just got a pitch that I could get in the air and it happened to go out."

Nate Jones (1-0) got the win and Addison Reed came on to strike out Austin Jackson with runners on second and third for the final out. It was Reed's first career save.

Detroit's Delmon Young went hitless in his first game back from a seven-day suspension following his April 27 arrest in New York.

It was Valverde's second blown save of the season. He was perfect in 49 chances in 2011.

"Last year is over," Valverde said. "The closer, everybody knows, it's not easy. One pitch can be the game, like it was today. Adam Dunn got it."

Dunn endured a horrendous 2011 season, his first with the White Sox. After hitting at least 38 homers for seven straight years, he managed only 11 last season to go along with a .159 batting average.

He's back to his productive self so far in 2012, hitting .250 with eight homers.

"It's good," Dunn said. "This is kind of what I expect to do."

Paul Konerko also went deep for Chicago.

The Tigers scratched out their two runs in the second on RBI singles by Andy Dirks and Jackson.

The White Sox trailed 2-0 before Konerko's solo shot in the seventh. Alejandro De Aza started the ninth with a single and a stolen base. He was sacrificed to third and Dunn -- always a strikeout risk -- made solid contact to put Chicago ahead.

Jones had pitched the bottom of the eighth, and Hector Santiago came on to try to close it out, but a walk and a double put Chicago's slim lead in jeopardy. Reed, who hasn't allowed a run this season, got the best of Jackson to preserve the win.

Gavin Floyd allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings for the White Sox.

Floyd was unlucky in the second, allowing an RBI single to Dirks on a slow grounder that slipped between third baseman Brent Morel and shortstop Alexei Ramirez.

Jackson's run-scoring hit actually deflected off Morel and past Ramirez, who looked as though he might have been in position to keep the ball at least in the infield and prevent the runner on second from scoring.

"You just kind of stay positive and continue to try to make pitches," Floyd said. "Got the ball on the ground, and it seemed like they were just missing guys."

Floyd retired 12 in a row starting in the third. In his last three starts, he's allowed four runs in 21 innings.

Detroit's Max Scherzer yielded a run and four hits in seven innings. He struck out nine without a walk. Showing none of the control trouble that plagued him in a seven-walk performance last weekend against the Yankees, Scherzer retired the first 11 White Sox before Dunn lined a single to right.

Chicago's second hit nearly ended Scherzer's outing. In the fifth, A.J. Pierzynski's line drive up the middle hit Scherzer's right foot during the pitcher's follow through. The right-hander picked up the ball and threw wildly to first, and the play went for an infield single and an error, with Pierzynski ending up on second.

Scherzer stayed in the game and got out of the inning on a flyout and two strikeouts. He allowed a single to De Aza in the sixth -- then promptly picked him off first. Konerko broke up the shutout an inning later with a homer to left.

Young was reinstated from the restricted list Friday after his suspension, but he didn't play that night. He received mostly cheers and a few scattered boos from the home crowd for his first plate appearance.

A quick look at the Chicago White Sox's 3-2 comeback win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday at Comerica Park.

How it happened: Adam Dunn's two-run homer in the ninth inning gave the White Sox their first lead of the game. Closer Hector Santiago ran into trouble in the bottom of the ninth, giving up a walk to Jhonny Peralta and a two-out, two-run double to Ryan Raburn. Addison Reed relieved Santiago and recorded the final out, striking out Austin Jackson for the save. Paul Konerko hit his sixth homer of the year, a solo shot, in the seventh. Gavin Floyd threw seven strong innings for the White Sox, allowing only two runs in the second inning. Floyd scattered seven hits and struck out six. Dunn and Alejandro De Aza each had two hits.

What it means: The White Sox evened the series with the Tigers at one apiece and improved to 6-4 against AL Central teams this season.

Outside the box score: The White Sox snapped a five-game losing streak at Comerica Park.

Up next: The Sox and Tigers conclude their series on Sunday at 12:05 CT. The probable starters are Dylan Axelrod (0-0, 2.70 ERA) for the Sox and Rick Porcello (2-2, 5.64 ERA) for the Tigers.