BOSTON -- A smile creeps across Jhonny Peralta's face when he thinks about the final weekend of the 2005 season.

Not because of the way it ended, mind you. He will never smile about that.

This smile relates to what could happen to the White Sox this weekend at U.S. Cellular Field.

Revenge, anyone?

"Maybe we could do something to them," Peralta said through that smile. "You never know."

You know how '05 ended. The Indians had a chance to reach the postseason for the first time in four years, but the White Sox, winners of the American League Central, swept them on the Tribe's own turf in the season's final three games. And so Cleveland sat at home in October, its 93-win season rendered moot.

The lasting image of that series is White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen grasping his throat -- his little way of telling the Indians that they'd choked.

It's been three years, and only a handful of faces (Peralta, Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee and Rafael Betancourt) remain in the Tribe clubhouse from the list of '05 regulars.

But as the White Sox, embroiled in a brutal battle with the Twins for division supremacy in these waning days of the regular season, fight for their postseason lives, the Indians, who close out '08 with three games at U.S. Cellular, can have a say in how the AL Central shakes out.

"Knowing they're trying to make the playoffs might boost us a little bit," Lee said. "That gives us a little more momentum. But we're going to play hard and try to win no matter who we play."

Lee's playing days might be done for '08. He's been bothered this week by a stiff neck, and the Indians might hold him out of Sunday's regular-season finale if it turns out to not have any bearing on the postseason setup.

Peralta, on the other hand, will most definitely be playing. In fact, with Andy Marte's season over, he is expecting to get the start at third base on Friday night.

He's hoping that the Indians can put an exclamation point on a season that fell short of expectations.

"We have to play hard," he said. "We have to try to win every game."

That's what the White Sox did in '05. And if the Indians have their way this weekend, the choke joke will be on Chicago.

Pitching matchup
CLE: LHP Scott Lewis (3-0, 1.42 ERA)
Lewis showed that he is, in fact, human in his third career start on Sunday, though he was still able to pick up his third win in as many opportunities. He worked five innings and gave up three runs in the Indians' big win over the Tigers. His scoreless streak of 15 innings was snapped in the second, when he allowed a run to come in on a double play. He was finally touched up for his first career home run when Edgar Renteria launched one in his final inning of work. Surprisingly, though, Lewis, not known for his velocity or nasty stuff, picked up six strikeouts to go along with three walks. This will be his first career start against the White Sox.

CWS: LHP John Danks (11-8, 3.20 ERA)
Danks responded to the challenge of what Guillen dubbed as the team's biggest game of the year by throwing seven scoreless innings during Chicago's 3-0 victory on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium. He allowed four hits in seven-plus innings, striking out three and walking one, extending his scoreless-innings streak to 13. He threw 62 of his 90 pitches for strikes, and he will come back on regular rest for a start that could lock down the AL Central title. He has an 0-1 record and 2.89 ERA in three starts against the Indians this season and is 4-5 with a 3.46 ERA at U.S. Cellular Field.

Tidbits
The Indians set a painful Major League record on Thursday. When Sizemore was plunked by a pitch from left-hander Jon Lester, it was the 101st time a Tribe player has been hit this season. That eclipsed the mark formerly held by the 1997 Astros. Ryan Garko leads the Tribe, with 15 HBPs. ... Entering Thursday's play, the Indians had scored more runs than the White Sox this season (780 vs. 777), despite having 59 fewer home runs. ... Garko's streak of reaching base in 32 straight games ended on Thursday night. ... The Indians fell below the .500 mark on Thursday. They had been at .500 or better for five days.

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Up next
• Saturday: Indians (Zach Jackson, 1-3, 5.96) at White Sox (Javier Vazquez, 12-15, 4.46), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Indians (Cliff Lee, 22-3, 2.54) at White Sox (Mark Buehrle, 14-12, 3.87), 2:05 p.m. ET