The Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 5-1 at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, ending the night with a four-run margin that was never seriously in doubt. Sean Burke dominated Houston's lineup for 5.2 innings, and a two-run crumble from reliever Kai-Wei Teng in the middle frames gave Chicago the separation it needed. Isaac Paredes provided the lone bright spot for the Astros with a solo home run, but Houston's offense never generated enough to mount a threat against a White Sox pitching staff that was sharp from start to finish.

Sean Burke Shuts Down Houston Offense

Burke was the story on the mound Tuesday night. The right-hander worked 5.2 innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six and walking four. The walks show his command was not perfect, but Houston could not convert when it mattered. One hit surrendered over nearly six innings against a major-league lineup is a performance that wins ballgames, and it did exactly that for Chicago.

Bryan Hudson picked up where Burke left off, throwing 1.1 innings of one-hit, two-strikeout relief without allowing a run. Jordan Hicks gave up one earned run on one hit and two walks across a frame, and Grant Taylor closed it out with a clean inning, striking out two. The White Sox bullpen combination held the Astros to nothing after Paredes connected.

Ronel Blanco Kept It Close, but Teng Could Not Hold

Ronel Blanco gave the Astros four solid innings — three hits, three walks, three strikeouts, and no earned runs. That line kept Houston within striking distance through the early going, and with Burke on the mound for Chicago, a 0-0 or 1-0 game felt like it could swing either way.

It swung the wrong direction when Kai-Wei Teng entered. The right-hander surrendered three earned runs on three hits and a walk across two innings, and that damage is what officially handed Teng the loss. Colson Montgomery drove in two of those runs for Chicago, going 2-for-4 on the night. Miguel Vargas and Chase Meidroth each added two hits for the White Sox, keeping the Astros defense busy and building the kind of multi-contributor offensive effort that Houston could not answer.

Tatsuya Imai finished the game for Houston, working three innings and striking out five — a strong showing in a relief role — but also allowed two earned runs on two hits and three walks. By the time Imai took the ball, the deficit was already too steep.

Paredes Provides the Only Offense

Paredes went 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI — his solo shot accounting for the Astros' lone run of the night. Taylor Trammell reached twice, going 2-for-3, but neither hit led to a run. Outside of those two, Houston's lineup produced little against a Chicago pitching staff that combined for 12 strikeouts against just two hits allowed through the final three innings of the ballgame.

Key Performances

  • Sean Burke (CWS): 5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 4 BB — winning pitcher
  • Colson Montgomery (CWS): 2-for-4, 2 RBI
  • Miguel Vargas (CWS): 2-for-4
  • Chase Meidroth (CWS): 2-for-4
  • Isaac Paredes (HOU): 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI
  • Taylor Trammell (HOU): 2-for-3
  • Ronel Blanco (HOU): 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 K, 3 BB
  • Kai-Wei Teng (HOU): 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER — losing pitcher
  • Tatsuya Imai (HOU): 3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 K, 3 BB

What's Next

The Astros will look to respond when this series with Chicago continues. Tuesday's loss was a reminder of how quickly a game can slip away when the bullpen struggles to protect early pitching work. Blanco did his job; the offense and the relief corps behind him did not. Houston will need more run support and cleaner middle-innings work to get back in the win column.