Burke’s long relief carries White Sox through Game 2 and toward ALCS

Sean Burke entered a game that was already going wrong and stayed long enough to change its direction. His 5⅓ innings of relief gave the White Sox the bridge they needed to beat the Guardians 4-3 on Monday and take a 2-0 lead in their American League Division Series.

Chicago’s plan began with Anthony Kay and Sean Newcomb, but Cleveland scored twice in the first inning. Burke took over with one out in the third, then allowed just one hit and one run, struck out six and walked one. He threw 83 pitches and earned the win. The White Sox now need one victory in the remaining three possible games to reach the ALCS.

That workload mattered after closer Grant Taylor’s four-inning save in Saturday’s opener. Chicago still needed Taylor on Monday, but Burke covered the middle innings and most of the eighth before manager Will Venable asked his closer for the final four outs.

Burke’s run was charged after he departed. Chase DeLauter singled with two outs in the eighth, ending the right-hander’s night. Jo Adell greeted Taylor with a triple that drove DeLauter home and cut Chicago’s lead to one. It left the tying run at third, but Nathaniel Lowe flied out to end the threat.

MLB’s official video captures the swing that brought Cleveland closest to pulling even.

Taylor retired the Guardians in order in the ninth. Cleveland managed four hits overall, two by DeLauter. After the opening inning, its only scoring came from Adell’s triple. Burke’s long appearance let Chicago survive an uneven start without cycling through a string of short relief outings.

The White Sox needed that stability because Gavin Williams made the first five innings difficult. He struck out 11, allowed four hits and walked three. Chicago did not record a hit until Kyle Teel singled to start the fourth. Miguel Vargas followed with a walk, and Munetaka Murakami’s single cut the deficit to 2-1.

Vargas started the sixth with another single, prompting Williams’ exit after five-plus innings. Against Erik Sabrowski, Murakami advanced Vargas on a groundout and pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk walked. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Tommy Pham’s flyout left Chicago down to its last out of the inning.

Braden Montgomery then doubled down the right-field line to score both runners. Chase Meidroth singled off Hunter Gaddis to drive in Montgomery and make it 4-2. Chicago produced three runs in that inning after Williams had struck out eight hitters in the first three.

The series returns to Rate Field for Game 3 on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Eastern. Chicago has won its first four postseason games, all away from home. Monday’s victory came through a different pitching arrangement than Saturday’s: Burke supplied the long stretch, and Taylor finished a close game after Cleveland’s final threat.