Sean Burke delivered a strong outing as the Chicago White Sox secured a 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday, helping the team reclaim a share of first place in the American League Central.

Burke pitched six innings, allowing only one run and striking out a career-high 11 batters. His performance provided much-needed stability for the White Sox after a taxing 10-inning game the previous night, in which the team used seven pitchers. The bullpen—anchored by Brandon Eisert and Grant Taylor, who had not pitched Friday—combined to throw three hitless innings to close out the win.

"Getting back to being simple and attacking the zone, getting to two-strike counts," Burke said of his approach. "You see some of the chase, and then guys get in between and start taking some stuff in the zone."

Offensively, Colson Montgomery marked the first anniversary of his major league debut with a pair of key hits. He opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning and later added a go-ahead home run in the eighth, providing the decisive margin for the White Sox.

Another milestone was reached as Jose Vargas hit his 20th home run of the season. Joined by Montgomery, with 22 homers, and Munetaka Murakami, with 20, the trio became only the second group of White Sox players to reach 20 or more home runs before the All-Star break. The first occurrence was in 2006, when Jim Thome (30), Jermaine Dye (25), and Paul Konerko (21) achieved the feat.

The victory was critical in maintaining the White Sox’s position atop the AL Central standings, reflecting a balanced effort on the mound and at the plate. The team will look to build on this momentum as the season progresses.