Sean Burke deserved better on Thursday, after holding a potent New York Yankees offense to just three hits on Thursday.
Despite throwing six scoreless innings and racking up 10 strikeouts, the Chicago White Sox right-hander was left with a no-decision. Burke certainly isn’t complaining, though. His gem helped the White Sox secure a 2-1 extra-inning victory while capping a dominant month of July in which he posted a 1.14 ERA across 31 2/3 innings.
Burke found himself in early trouble after a catcher’s interference and a walk put two runners on to start the game, but the right-hander quickly settled in, retiring 11 consecutive hitters while lowering his ERA to 3.04 on the season.
Burke used four different pitches to record a strikeout on the day, and that arsenal was on full display in the fourth inning. He got Jasson Domínguez to swing through a slider, blew a 96-mph fastball past Paul Goldschmidt and then froze Anthony Volpe with a 78-mph curveball, completing the three-strikeout inning.
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Burke has quickly supplanted Davis Martin as the White Sox’s ace, stringing together five consecutive quality starts. One of the biggest reasons why has been the command of his fastball.
Burke has done an excellent job using his heater to establish the strike zone, and in the process he is also generating swings and misses at a near 27% clip. That combination has helped open up the rest of his arsenal.
Burke’s fastball isn’t overpowering by MLB standards, either. His four-seamer averages around 95 mph, right in line with the league average, yet it carries a run value that ranks in the 93rd percentile among MLB pitchers. This comes after Burke’s fastball was arguably a liability last season, when it posted a -2 run value. Now it sits at 10.
While his fastball doesn’t generate much horizontal movement, it has more vertical drop than pitches that throw a fastball with a comparable velocity and extension. As a result, opposing hitters have managed just a .179 batting average against it.
“I think just having more tools in the toolbox,” Burke told reporters on Thursday. “I just feel good about my stuff right now. The game plans have been good, talking with the catchers and coaches has made my life a lot easier. When you have confidence in all your stuff, it’s easier to game plan.”
While Burke has leaned on his fastball more than any other pitch this season, he is certainly throwing all of his pitches with confidence. His fastball, slider and curveball all have strikeout rates north of 26%.
While the White Sox still need to add depth to their starting rotation, Burke has gone from looking like a middle-of-the-rotation arm to establishing himself as a bona fide ace.
