Sean Burke threw 5 2/3 shutout innings as the visiting Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros 5-1 on Tuesday, leaving each team with one win to begin a four-game series between division leaders.
Colson Montgomery produced his second multi-hit game in as many nights for the White Sox (73-65), who maintained their three-game lead over the Guardians (70-68) in the American League Central. Cleveland topped the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 earlier on Tuesday.
The Astros (70-69) have dropped seven of their past 10 home games. Houston’s lead in the AL West shrunk to one game over the Texas Rangers (69-70), who topped the Athletics 8-5 on Tuesday.
Burke (8-6) recorded his fifth scoreless outing of the season, permitting just one hit and four walks. He struck out six.
The right-hander overcame an inauspicious start, as he issued consecutive walks to Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez to open the bottom of the first inning. Burke recovered quickly, retiring the ensuing three batters, including an inning-ending strikeout of LaMonte Wade Jr.
Taylor Trammell blistered a one-out double to left-center field in the fifth inning for Houston’s first hit. Burke responded by inducing a groundout from Cam Smith before striking out Pena to strand Trammell at third base. Burke capped his outing with a strikeout of Jose Altuve in the sixth.
Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco, recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to make his first major league appearance since Aug. 15, labored but still tossed four shutout innings. He allowed three hits and three walks while fanning three. Blanco stranded three baserunners in scoring position.
The White Sox broke through against Astros reliever Kai-Wei Teng (5-7) for three runs in the fifth.
With one out, Teng hit Sam Antonacci with a pitch before striking out Munetaka Murakami. Miguel Vargas walked, and Andrew Benintendi delivered an RBI single that snapped a scoreless tie. Montgomery followed with a two-run double to right that upped the lead to 3-0.
Murakami and Montgomery walked in the seventh before Randal Grichuk delivered a two-run double off Astros reliever Tatsuya Imai for a 5-0 lead.
Houston’s Isaac Paredes hit a solo homer to left off Jordan Hicks in the eighth inning, his 18th long ball of the year.
Montgomery finished 2-for-4 with a walk.