In Houston, Chicago White Sox starter Sean Burke began Tuesday’s game against the Houston Astros by walking the first two batters. Pitching coach Zach Bove intervened. Burke recalled Bove’s advice, saying, “Look, let’s not go down this road again. Let’s get back to what you’re doing good.” Burke responded positively, appreciating such direct encouragement.
After two flyouts and a strikeout, Burke navigated through the challenging first inning without allowing any runs. The right-hander hit his stride throughout the evening. He conceded just one hit over 5 2/3 scoreless innings, leading the White Sox to a 5-1 victory in front of 26,838 spectators at Daikin Park.
“Today’s honestly, in my mind, one of the better starts I’ve had this year just because I obviously didn’t have my best stuff and had to kind of grind through that,” Burke said. He emphasized the significance of maintaining performance and consistently delivering scoreless innings, particularly during challenging moments.
Chicago demonstrated defensive skill as left fielder Sam Antonacci caught a line drive from Houston’s Nelson Velázquez during the sixth inning. Burke ended his game with six strikeouts and four walks over 104 pitches. The only hit against him occurred in the fifth inning with Taylor Trammell’s one-out double.
Manager Will Venable commended Burke’s efforts, recognizing his ability to rebound after initial struggles. Burke, accompanied by relievers Bryan Hudson, Jordan Hicks, and Grant Taylor, restricted the Astros to only three hits.
The victory fortified the Sox’s position in the American League Central, maintaining their three-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians. Cleveland won against Toronto with a score of 6-1, keeping pressure on Chicago.
Offensively, Chicago leveraged two-out situations effectively. Andrew Benintendi initiated scoring with a single in the fifth against reliever Kai-Wei Teng, driving Antonacci home. Colson Montgomery followed with a two-run double. Additionally, Randal Grichuk contributed with a two-run double against reliever Tatsuya Imai in the seventh, boosting the lead to 5-0.
Grichuk noted his approach, commenting, “I never faced him before. Saw a couple of heaters. Tried to let it get deep and luckily he put one that was out over (the plate) and I was able to put a good swing on it.”
This offensive effort marked a recovery from Monday’s game where the Sox struggled with runners in scoring position and left 14 on base. Venable highlighted the improvement, mentioning the team’s strong swing decisions and hard-hitting, resulting in better offensive production.
Burke’s performance marked a turnaround from his last game against Texas on Aug. 26, where he tallied eight walks. Despite issuing walks again on Tuesday, he avoided similar pitfalls, focusing on delivering effective pitches and collaborating with catcher Drew Romo to mitigate challenges.
Burke acknowledged the support from Romo and the offensive momentum following the team’s spirited fifth inning performance. Burke stated, “I thought (catcher Drew) Romo did a really good job calling the game and understanding what was working for me in that game. Then the offense kind of picks me up in that fifth inning, giving me a nice lead to work with.”