"Jake Peavy admitted Sunday he could use an extended break after a sluggish end to a first half that typified the White Sox's malaise.

"My body has not bounced back," Peavy said after allowing 10 hits in 41/3 innings in a 6-3 loss to the Twins that concluded the Sox's first half with a 44-48 record, their first sub .500 pre-All-Star Game record since losing 90 in 2007.

"It's not hard to see. I'm throwing 85-90 mph with my fastball. My breaking balls aren't sharp. I can't even strike anybody out with it."

Peavy said he will visit his Alabama-based physical therapist that helped him recover from a detatched latissimus dorsi muscle last winter, but he indicated he might need more than six days before his next start.

Since throwing four innings in relief on June 25, Peavy is 0-2 with a 7.72 ERA in three starts.

This was a fitting end to a first half that fell way short of expectations.

"Baffling, frustrating — use whatever adjective you want to use," said catcher A.J. Pierzynski, one of the few Sox who displayed a sense of urgency by hitting .365 in his last 22 games. "It's one of those strange things you can't explain when you're playing. We play good for a couple games, but then we play horrible for a couple games. Our record reflects that."