CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox held off the Detroit Tigers 3-1 on Saturday afternoon at Rate Field, where a sixth-inning manager's challenge overturned a tying run and preserved Sean Burke's strong start in a critical late-season win.
With Chicago leading 2-1 in the top of the sixth, Burke faced a bases-loaded, two-out jam against Brett Callahan. A swinging strike appeared to be a wild pitch that allowed Riley Greene to score from third to tie the game, but manager Will Venable challenged that the pitch had hit Callahan, rendering the ball dead on the swing. Replay overturned the call, and Burke capitalized by striking out Callahan to escape. Burke allowed one run on five hits over six innings, striking out five and walking three, becoming the first White Sox starter to complete six innings since he did so on Aug. 21.
Miguel Vargas provided the decisive offense. After walking, stealing second and scoring on Munetaka Murakami's first-inning single off Jackson Jobe, Vargas homered in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to 3-1 for his team-high 33rd home run. The homer capped a historic season: Vargas became the first player in White Sox history with at least 30 doubles, 30 homers, 20 stolen bases and 100 runs scored, moving to 101 runs after Saturday. He joined Luis Robert Jr. (2023) and Magglio Ordonez (2001) as the only White Sox with 30 doubles, 30 homers and 20 steals in a season, and the first White Sox to score 100 runs since Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye in 2006.
The bullpen closed it out as Noah Schultz struck out four over 1 2/3 innings before Grant Taylor recorded the final four outs for his 10th save. The victory improved Chicago to 79-76, moving the White Sox a half-game behind the Guardians in the American League Central with Cleveland playing Saturday night, and 1 1/2 games ahead of the Rangers for the third American League Wild Card spot.