Davis Martin and Sean Burke Are the ONLY Shot the White Sox Have to See October

The Chicago White Sox are treading water at 76-73 as of Monday, September 14, clinging to a razor-thin 0.5-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians. Talk about high stakes: they’re kicking off a series right now against those very Guardians in Cleveland. If they stumble in this pivotal series, it is not just the AL Central lead on the line. The White Sox could completely fall out of the postseason picture. This isn’t just a big week; it’s everything for Chicago.

The Two Arms Holding Everything Together

An AL scout, talking to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, dropped a bomb: the White Sox could actually be a “sleeper” team if just two pitchers step up big. A “sleeper,” man! That’s what we love to hear, but it all comes down to the mound. This scout really pinpointed the issue, saying, “If the White Sox can get just a little starting pitching, they could still make some noise.” We know they have a solid bullpen, which is always clutch in the playoffs, and an offense led by Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas that can genuinely hang with the league’s best, hitting homers when they get hot. But “lately” has been the key word there for the long ball, and the starting rotation has been a massive question mark.

It’s All On Martin and Burke Now

White Sox manager Will Venable needs Davis Martin and Sean Burke to play out of their minds. Seriously, forget everyone else in the rotation right now, Luis Castillo, Anthony Kay, Erick Fedde, David Sandlin, because it is Martin and Burke who need to deliver. The scout stressed that having two ace-level arms in October is often all a team needs for a deep run. And right now, Martin and Burke are Chicago’s best, possibly their only, shot at finding that ace-level fire. But here is the kicker: these guys have got to be better than they have been, especially lately. If they keep struggling, not only does a postseason run look impossible, but they might not even make it to the dance, with the Guardians, Toronto Blue Jays, and Texas Rangers breathing down their necks.

This series in Cleveland is absolutely do or die. The White Sox need Martin and Burke to light it up, starting now, to keep those October dreams alive.

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Originally reported by The Sporting News.