White Sox wrapping up a telling week

MINNEAPOLIS — It had been a long time.

For general manager Rick Hahn, too long.

When the White Sox played the Astros for four games this week at Minute Maid Park, Hahn, who was with the team on the trip, returned to the scene of the Sox’ four-game sweep in the 2005 World Series.

“When I walked into the clubhouse for the first time since ’05, [I recalled seeing] champagne everywhere. I couldn’t have been happier, one of the best days of my professional life,” Hahn said. “It was a little bit bittersweet. Exciting, but at the same it reinforced that it’s been a while. We have to get back there.”

Hahn was the assistant general manager at the time. Since then, the Sox have made one playoff appearance and have one playoff game win — in 2008. That futility was the impetus for the current rebuild that might be taking baby steps toward a return to contention, if not this season, perhaps a year from now.

A series split in Houston, with the Sox taking the last two games against baseball’s hottest team at the time, showed something. A Memorial Day weekend series against the American League Central-leading Twins — who had the best record in baseball going in — had the wherewithal to be telling, too.

“It’s a club that’s playing very well, so you use these games to kind of see where you’re at,’’ manager Rick Renteria said.

“Very well” is an understatement. The Twins, 33-16 going in, were returning home after a 6-1 road trip against the Mariners and Angels. They entered with 98 homers, on pace for 324. The Yankees set the record with 267 last season.

“They hit the crap out of the ball, and their starting pitching’s been really good,” right-hander Lucas Giolito said. “For us, we hit the crap out of the ball, but our starting pitching, we didn’t start figuring [it] out until more recently. So that’s probably the biggest thing. Their starting pitching’s been very consistent since the beginning of the year.’’

In the AL, the Sox ranked eighth in batting average, 10th in homers and 11th in runs. But slugging and on-base percentage according to Giolito’s assessment of the offense is overstated. In any event, the Sox know consistency in the lineup, on the mound and defensively are musts to be in the same conversation with contending teams.

“If we play consistently, we can sustain what we’ve done [over a recent 7-5 stretch],’’ infielder Yolmer Sanchez said. “If we play like we played the last two days, [against the Astros] we can beat anybody.’’

The Twins have impressed in all three phases. But they perhaps had their worst defensive inning of the season Friday, which led to the Sox scoring four runs in the second.

“It’s about pitching and defense and timely hitting,” Renteria said. “It’s kind of a cliché but that’s the way it is. Hopefully we can perform and do what they’ve been doing as we get through the season.”

Said Giolito: “We all know as players and coaches what we’re capable of as a team here. We have a ton of talent, kind of like the Twins have a ton of talent. It’s just that consistency. We’re starting to see it more and more now.”

Of course, the Twins made more significant additions than the Sox in the offseason to supplement their young core.

“As we move forward maybe we’ll put ourselves in position down the road where we add pieces that help us compete in the division,” Renteria said. “They’re certainly showing you it can be done when you’re trying to go from within and then make the adjustments you need to.”

The Sox figure to add through free agency and trades when the timing is right. But in the meantime, they carry on with what they have — with needed steps to be taken.

“We’re not there yet,” Hahn said.