CHICAGO -- When surveying the landscape of the White Sox World Series championship effort in 2005, the game from Sept. 5 easily gets lost in the shuffle.

This particular contest serves as an important cautionary tale for the White Sox as they prepare for Monday afternoon's makeup game with Detroit from a Sept. 13 postponement.

Back in 2005, the White Sox lost an off-day on that Monday because they had to fly to Fenway Park to make up a previously rained out game. The pitching matchup featured Curt Schilling against rookie Brandon McCarthy, and yet the White Sox came away with a 5-3 victory.

None of the South Siders wanted to make that trip, especially not with a break in the action originally scheduled. They used that common disdain for one-day travel to bond together and turn in an exceptional effort at the home of the defending champs.

It sounds like a familiar refrain for the Detroit Tigers, whose 2008 season literally is all but officially over, aside from Monday's matchup. Yet, it certainly won't be meaningless for Jim Leyland's squad, according to White Sox players who are bracing for a major challenge.

"Boarding a plane is probably the last thing they want to do," said White Sox first baseman and captain Paul Konerko of the Tigers. "So, if they are going to do it, they are going to be [upset] they have to come here and [they'll] want to win."

"I'm sure they aren't real happy to have to come here and play this game," Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski continued. "I'm sure a lot of them would be hoping they would be home now. They will come in here and want to kick our tails, and we have to go out there with the same attitude and try to do it to them."

"Detroit will come out and be free and easy and have no cares in the world," reliever Matt Thornton added. "They know they go home after the game, no matter what. It's a dangerous team."

Beating the Tigers serves as a necessary means to an end for the White Sox, who must win Monday to face the Twins at home on Tuesday in a one-game tiebreaker to decide the American League Central title, which would take place at 6:30 p.m. CT on TBS and MLB.TV. Chicago will rely on Gavin Floyd to set the tone on the mound, but it won't be an easy challenge for the young right-hander.

Despite the overall breakout effort produced by Floyd, who has 16 wins this season and a near no-hitter thrown against Minnesota to his credit, he will be coming back on three days' rest. It's a plan that hasn't exactly paid dividends for any White Sox hurler not named Mark Buehrle.

Javier Vazquez has lost twice on short rest, while Floyd came up short at Kauffman Stadium last Saturday pitching in the same scenario. Floyd admitted Sunday he felt a little different between starts compared to regular rest. He also cut down the pitch total on his side session with the three-day break and worked out on two days -- instead of three, as is the norm.

When it was time to take the mound last Saturday, though, Floyd said his arm felt fine.

"A main thing is to just rest and give your body a chance to recuperate," Floyd said. "But I'll take what I learned when I pitched the last time on three days' rest and put it into use for this one."

"This was the weighing out of what's our best chance to win games and then bringing out the best four guys we've got," White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper added.

John Danks would follow Floyd for Tuesday's tiebreaker, coming back on three days' rest for the first time in his career. The upside for Danks is that he threw only 80 pitches on Friday night, but the bad news is that he left after he yielded seven runs over four-plus innings to Cleveland. Nick Blackburn, who didn't exactly earn rave reviews from Ozzie Guillen after beating the White Sox this past Wednesday, would get the nod for Minnesota due to Kevin Slowey's injured right wrist.

But first, the White Sox must take care of Detroit. The Twins will be gathered at the Metrodome, watching and waiting to see if game No. 163 is needed to decided a division titlist.

"Whether we go play those suckers or not, it's up to them," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It's all on their shoulders now. I don't have to make a pitching move [or] to pinch-hit anybody tomorrow. This is all on Ozzie, so go get them Ozzie, and we'll see what happens."

"We get paid to play 162 games," Pierzynski added. "We are going to get all of our money's worth. Hopefully if we win [Monday], we can play 163."

Pitching matchup
CWS: RHP Gavin Floyd (16-8, 3.91 ERA)
Floyd almost stopped the bleeding for the White Sox again on Thursday night at the Metrodome, going in search of his 10th victory this season after a White Sox loss. Floyd allowed four runs on 11 hits over 5 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out four, but he managed to strand seven Minnesota runners. Floyd finished with a no-decision, when the bullpen couldn't hold a two-run lead. Floyd will be opposed by Freddy Garcia, a 2005 World Series hero for the White Sox. Floyd has a 2-0 record with a 4.24 ERA against Detroit this season and is 3-0 lifetime against the Tigers. Floyd will be pitching on three days rest, having lost his last time in Kansas City following the short break.

DET: RHP Freddy Garcia (1-1, 4.50 ERA)
Garcia is in the curious position of having a chance to either knock his former team out of the division title or force them into a one-game playoff. All in all, it's not a bad way to end a late-season comeback from shoulder surgery that cost him more than a year off the mound. Since he was planning on starting his winter ball campaign in his native Venezuela in a few weeks, the extra work won't be a big deal.

Tidbits
The White Sox honored the family of Jeff Ponczak prior to Saturday's game. Ponczak, a longtime member of the Chicago media, a friend to many and a devout White Sox fan, passed away in late June. The White Sox gave 20 tickets to the Ponczak family, a jersey with Ponczak's name on the back, a replica of the World Series trophy and a framed letter from chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, expressing his condolences and honoring Ponczak's life. ... Guillen believed Sunday's victory, ending a five-game losing streak, might be the ignition for a White Sox winning streak. Konerko seemed to agree. "This game turns; there are cycles in this game," Konerko said. "Hopefully, today is the start of a new cycle." ... Konerko homered in three straight games for the second time this season (also Sept. 5-7). He has nine homers in his last 20 games at home. ... With Sunday's victory, Buehrle improved to 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA when pitching on three days' rest.

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Up next
• Tuesday (if necessary): Twins (Nick Blackburn, 11-10, 4.14) at White Sox (John Danks, 11-9, 3.47), TBD