Takeaways After White Sox Rebound and Shut Down Astros

The Chicago White Sox got revenge on the Houston Astros after a frustrating loss in Game 1.

Sep 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Sean Burke (59) pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After an embarrassing loss to the Houston Astros on Monday, the Chicago White Sox rebounded with a 5-1 win. Let's talk about it!

Sean Burke Rebounds After Poor Outing

Sean Burke's last outing was not ideal for the White Sox. In three innings against the Texas Rangers, the White Sox ace went only three innings, walking eight batters. Burke was in desperate need of a rebound performance. He delivered. The control wasn't always there (four walks, including two in the first inning), but Burke had a gritty outing, giving up just one hit, no runs, and striking out six batters in 5.2 innings.

Bryan Hudson would come in and throw 1.1 shutout innings. After a rocky stretch of games, it seems Hudson is settling back in. He has a 2.57 ERA in his last seven games. After giving up three runs in each of his previous two appearances, Jordan Hicks came in and struck out AL MVP favorite Yordan Alvarez, but gave up a solo home run to Isaac Paredes and walked two batters. Grant Taylor would close out the game with two strikeouts.

White Sox Offense Bounces Back

After scoring only seven runs combined in their previous three games, the White Sox needed a scoring outburst to win this one. It didn't look good at first, with Ronel Blanco throwing four shutout innings. The White Sox were awful with runners in scoring position against Blanco, but had a two-out rally when the bullpen came in early.

Andrew Benintendi would continue his clutch play with an RBI single, followed by a Colson Montgomery two-run double. Benintendi recorded his 70th RBI of the season, a surprising milestone, especially considering he's been a platoon player this year. In fact, it's the most runs he's driven in since 2021 with the Kansas City Royals. Montgomery has seemingly broken out of his slump. He went 2-for-4 on Tuesday with a walk and is slashing .273/.355/.509 in his last 15 games. Randal Grichuk would also double in two runs, ending a somewhat rough last seven games.

Next Up

After the White Sox tied up the series, they will look to gain the upper hand. While it is currently to be determined who will start for Chicago on Wednesday, it could pave the way for Davis Martin's return from the injured list.

For the Astros, Hayden Wesneski will be on the mound. Wesneski returned from Tommy John surgery on July 29 and has a 3.86 ERA in six starts with 28 strikeouts in 32.2 innings. The White Sox will need to get to Wesneski early to win this one, unlike what they did with Blanco.