CHICAGO (WSCR) The Chicago White Sox are two games under .500, but because the rest of the division is struggling as well, they find themselves just four and a half games back of the Cleveland Indians.

“It’s going to be a race down to the end,” White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said on the Mully and Hanley Show. “I mean, things are getting tighter. We’re in the hunt. We’ve got as good a chance as anybody, an we’re hoping that our offense can bounce back here, and get it going.”

It’s no secret that the White Sox have struggled offensively so far this season, they rank 17th in baseball in both runs scored and batting average. It’s the pitching that’s kept them competitive in the AL Central. Chicago ranks 12th in baseball with a 3.81 team ERA and eighth in the league with 51 quality starts.

LISTEN: Don Cooper On The Mully And Hanley Show

“I’m hoping that the pitching can be strong, and continue,” Cooper said when downplaying trade rumors. “And that’s where my focus is. You know, we have a chance, crazier things have happened. We haven’t played our best baseball yet.”

On Thursday, the White Sox start four-game series with the Minnesota Twins, who they’re once again struggling with. On the season, Chicago is 0-4 against Minnesota and have been outscored 9-3 in those games.

“It’d be great for us to take three out of four,” Cooper said. “You know, we just have to focus on the daily things and put the effort and the energy, you know, forth everyday and see if we can come out with a win, becuase, heck, right now, if we get five more [wins] than everybody else, we’re in.”