The Detroit Tigers nearly leveled the score in the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox, but a video review altered the course of the game. A misstep occurred when Sean Burke’s pitch eluded catcher Kyle Teel’s grasp during a swinging strike, prompting Riley Greene to dash home. The White Sox questioned the play, suspecting irregularities.
Manager Will Venable noted, “It looked like a funky play, so we let the video review coordinator handle it.” The review revealed that the pitch hit batter Brett Callahan, nullifying the score. The inning continued with Greene returning to third base as the bases remained loaded. “It’s like having another chance,” Burke commented. He soon struck out Callahan to wrap up the inning.
The White Sox emerged victorious with a 3-1 win, playing to a crowd of 30,631 at Rate Field. Burke’s performance was critical as he allowed just one run on five hits over six innings, striking out five and walking three during a 97-pitch effort. Venable praised Burke’s contribution, saying, “He stepped up and covered many innings.” Burke’s quality start was the first for the team since his outing against the New York Mets on August 21.
The Sox currently hold a two-game lead over the Houston Astros for the final American League wild-card spot, with seven games left in the season. They trail the Cleveland Guardians by one game for first place in the AL Central. Burke emphasized the importance of these games, saying, “All these games matter for our position.”
Saturday’s game started earlier than planned due to a forecast of bad weather. Despite this, Burke adjusted without issue, aided by strong offensive and defensive play from Miguel Vargas. Vargas excelled, going 1-for-2 with two walks, a solo home run, and two runs scored. His performance included reaching a significant milestone of 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 100 runs in a season, a first for a Sox player.
In the fourth inning, Vargas made a critical defensive play to end the inning, highlighting his all-around contribution. He later extended the Sox’s lead to 3-1 with his solo home run in the sixth inning, marking his 33rd home run of the season.
Relievers Noah Schultz and Grant Taylor maintained the team’s lead. Schultz threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out four, while Taylor secured his 10th save by allowing only one hit over the final 1 1/3 innings. The Sox bounced back from a previous day’s loss, displaying resilience.
“We never give up,” Vargas stated. “We battle every day and play all nine innings. This has been our approach all season.”
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