Sean Burke pitched a gem, and Tim Elko walked it off — the kids are alright!

The White Sox split the series against the first-place Tigers in 10 innings

The White Sox pulled off a split against the best team in Major League Baseball, 3-2 in 10 innings, with a beautiful walk-off win and a pitching masterclass by Sean Burke.

Chicago loaded the bases in the first inning and pushed Detroit starter Casey Mize to 33 pitches before exiting the frame … scoreless. A team that pushes a pitcher to 33 or more pitches and loads the bases scores at least one run 94% of the time … but not the White Sox.

In the second, the Tigers threatened with back-to-back singles from Wenceel Pérez and Zach McKinstry to start the inning, but Pérez made an aggressive play for third base on McKinstry’s single and was thrown out by a mile:

Javier Báez popped up, and Trey Sweeney went down swinging.

Josh Rojas started the bottom of the frame with a double for the White Sox. Mike Tauchman battled back from a 1-2 count to pick up a two-out walk and wear Casey Mize down, who was at 54 pitches by the time he got to the next batter. Meidroth loaded the bases, the second time in the game for the White Sox, with a walk. The bullpen started stirring for the Tigers after another mound visit. But just like last time, runners were stranded after a fly out from Quero. Mize ended the frame at an astounding 64 pitches, but the White Sox had nothing to show for it.

The Motor City Kitties were retired in order to start the third, and Gleyber Torres, who struck out on a foul tip, slammed his bat on the ground in anger. Unfortunately, the South Siders would experience a similar fate.

Rojas reached base again to start the bottom of the fourth, this time with a single. Michael A. Taylor followed up with a single of his own after Sweeney’s dive attempt was unsuccessful. A sac bunt advanced the runners, and a sac fly from Tauchman sent Rojas home, putting the Sox on the board first. Meidroth kept the inning alive with an RBI single before Quero lined out.

Pérez put the Tigers on the board late into the game with a solo homer in the seventh and McKinstry followed with a single. Cam Booser started warming in the pen. Colt Keith picked up a two-out walk on a wild pitch from Burke. In a comedy of errors, Dillon Dingler singled on a fly ball to first base because no one could call for or field the ball. McKinstry scored, but Keith had Detroit’s second TOOTBLAN of the day and got caught up in a jam between third and home. Thank goodness there was video:

The game was tied, but Burke made it through seven innings, the longest start of his career.

The game went to extras. Dan Altavilla, who was in for the ninth, went back out for the 10th, but walked Parker Meadows. With one already on due to the ghost runner rule, this was not ideal, and Altavilla was pulled for Steven Wilson. Torkelson took one to the wall with two outs and two on, but Tauchman came through with a huge catch to end the half.

Benintendi was intentionally walked to put two runners on. Slater dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. With a short fly ball all that was needed to end it, Elko singled on a ground ball, driving in the game winning run after having a less-than-stellar afternoon:

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