Luis Robert Jr. had two hits and four RBIs, Miguel Vargas smacked a three-run home run and Sean Burke pitched six shutout innings as the host Chicago White Sox routed the Milwaukee Brewers 8-0 on Thursday afternoon.
Chicago averted a three-game series sweep behind a timely, nine-hit attack and a resilient pitching staff that delivered a combined two-hitter.
Burke (2-4) established the tone, retiring 15 of the final 17 Brewers he faced after escaping first-inning trouble. The rookie right-hander walked the bases loaded before Rhys Hoskins sent a long fly ball toward the wall in center field, where Robert made a leaping catch to deny Hoskins a grand slam and end the threat.
Robert opened the scoring with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning. He broke things open with a bases-clearing double in the seventh.
Milwaukee stuck around in the game behind rookie righty Chad Patrick (1-3), who fell one out short of notching a quality start. Patrick scattered three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts and no walks.
Patrick exited after allowing Andrew Vaughn’s two-out single in the sixth. Vargas greeted reliever Craig Yoho with a three-run blast, extending his hitting streak to eight games.
Burke spaced two hits, three walks and five strikeouts in six innings. He allowed only one extra-base hit, a double from Eric Haase in the fifth.
Joey Ortiz collected Milwaukee’s only other hit.
Chicago has led or been tied after the fifth inning in eight consecutive games. Thursday marked just the third victory for the club over that span.
White Sox relievers Mike Vasil, Brandon Eisert, and Jared Shuster walked one and struck out four over the final three innings.
Chicago has won five games by seven runs or more this season.
The White Sox earned their first victory against the Brewers since July 25, 2021. Then-Chicago right-hander Lance Lynn drove in a pair of runs to key a 3-1 win one season before the National League added the designated hitter.
