White Sox Hand Sean Burke Game 5 Start in Cleveland

The Chicago White Sox will rely on right-hander Sean Burke to start the decisive American League Division Series Game 5 against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland after the team lost its chance to close the series at home and turned to its emerging top starter.

According to MLB.com, Burke earned the assignment after allowing one run on one hit across 5 1/3 innings in Game 2, when he struck out six batters and retired 13 consecutive hitters at one point.

Burke enters the matchup after a 2026 season in which he posted a 3.34 ERA over 32 outings, while his 4.2 bWAR ranked ninth among American League pitchers, according to The New York Times.

White Sox manager Will Venable said Burke is prepared for the pressure of the elimination game.

"This is a guy that, for me, is built for these types of moments," Venable said, according to The New York Times.

MLB.com reported that Burke will make a traditional start without an opener, while Chicago prepares to use its bullpen aggressively if needed after recent pitching challenges.

"Just excited and looking forward to watching him in that environment," Venable said, according to MLB.com.

Burke said his ability to attack the strike zone will be important against Cleveland after the White Sox allowed multiple big innings in recent losses.

"I think I did a pretty good job of commanding all my stuff in the zone," Burke said, according to MLB.com.

The Guardians used several important pitchers during Game 4, while Chicago also managed heavy bullpen workloads. MLB.com reported that Erick Fedde threw 61 pitches in relief and could be unavailable for the deciding game.

Burke's path to the playoff spotlight included Tommy John surgery in high school, limited college opportunities during the pandemic and development challenges in the minor leagues, according to The New York Times.

Corey Muscara, who coached Burke at Maryland, described the pitcher's development as a process that required consistency and improvement.

"I knew a couple of scouts who were willing to give him a million dollars out of high school," Muscara said, according to The New York Times.

The White Sox and Guardians played a closely contested regular season series, with Chicago winning seven of 13 meetings and outscoring Cleveland by one run before the postseason matchup reached Game 5.

"As we've battled back and forth with these guys, obviously fitting that it's going to come down to this," Venable said, according to MLB.com.