Sean Burke keeps making the White Sox‘ hold on first place look sturdier. He threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings in Sunday’s 3-0 win in Toronto, and because Cleveland lost its rubber game to Paul Skenes and the Pirates, Chicago’s AL Central lead grew to a full game — 52-46 to the Guardians’ 52-48.
Burke allowed two hits and a walk with five strikeouts on 98 pitches. Over his last six starts, dating to June 18, he has allowed six earned runs in 38 2/3 innings — a 1.40 ERA — with 47 strikeouts against six walks. His season line now reads 7-4 with a 3.20 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 112 1/3 innings, and no starter on the roster has been more reliable since the calendar turned to summer. Bryan Hudson bridged to the ninth, and rookie Grant Taylor worked around two singles for his fifth save. Taylor has a 2.74 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
The offense did just enough against Trey Yesavage, who struck out nine over six innings in the loss. Miguel Vargas scored on an Andrew Benintendi sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Colson Montgomery hit his 24th home run of the season leading off the sixth — the game’s only extra damage until Benintendi doubled and came home on Braden Montgomery‘s single later that inning. Braden Montgomery finished 2-for-4 in his continuing audition for everyday at-bats.
That is the part worth sitting with: a 26-year-old starter, a 24-year-old shortstop with 24 homers, and a rookie closing games, all winning a September-weight series in July. The schedule turns to a home set next while Cleveland gets back to division play, and the two clubs remain on course for a head-to-head stretch that will decide how the deadline looks on the South Side.
For fantasy purposes, Burke should be started everywhere without hesitation — six straight quality-or-better outings with a 47-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio is ace production at a mid-rotation price. Grant Taylor is now the clear add in saves leagues; five saves with a strikeout an inning-plus makes him the White Sox arm to own in the ninth.
