(670 The Score) Hours before the first pitch of the White Sox's playoff opener Tuesday, veteran left-hander Dallas Keuchel sensed a calm with his team.
It was reassuring for the 32-year-old Keuchel, who's set to make his fifth career playoff appearance -- and his first with White Sox teammates who largely haven't been on this stage before. That will change when the White Sox and Athletics square off for Game 1 of their wild-card round series Tuesday, with first pitch in Oakland set for 2:08 p.m. CT.
Keuchel carries a belief in what the White Sox can accomplish in October because it's something he envisioned last December, when he agreed to a three-year deal with the team. After the White Sox spent three years rebuilding, Keuchel recognized a promising team ready to compete.
"The young talent has kind of come to fruition," he said. "Ultimately, that's what you need to see in a rebuilding phase of an organization. A lot of teams can try to rebuild, but if you don't have guys stick that need to stick, you're pushing yourselves backwards. A lot of guys who had a taste last year and made an initial jump have progressed even better.
"This is what I signed up for. This is what we envisioned. The only way is up from here, even in the playoffs."
White Sox ace Lucas Giolito will make his postseason debut when he starts Game 1 on Tuesday. Keuchel will pitch Game 2 on Wednesday, which will mark his 11th playoff start.
The White Sox boast a dynamic and dangerous lineup that pushed them to a 35-25 record in the truncated season. But Keuchel knows that isn't what wins playoff games.
"As much as I love our lineup, from previous postseason experience it comes down to pitching and defense," Keuchel said.
"This is the real season. But at the same time, all of us in there are calm and collected."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.