Which Pitchers Should the White Sox Trust in ALDS Game 5?

We know the Chicago White Sox are sending right-handed pitcher Sean Burke to the mound as the starter for a decisive Game 5 on Saturday evening.

Burke has been Chicago's best starter all year long. He's also had plenty of success against the Cleveland Guardians this season. Now, he takes the hill with the weight of an entire season on his shoulders. And the White Sox need him more than ever.

After appearing innovative and effective during the early stages of the postseason, the organized chaos pitching strategy deployed by Will Venable has come back to bite Chicago in the last two games of the ALDS.

Rolling out bullpen games is interesting in theory. But when your pitchers struggle to throw strikes, fail to record the outs they're being relied on for and force you to empty the stable, effective relief arms quickly become a precious commodity.

During Games 3 and 4 in Chicago, White Sox pitchers issued 17 walks. Meanwhile, Hagen Smith and Grant Taylor, who have been Chicago's go-to arms throughout the postseason, combined to allow four hits and five walks while recording just two outs.

That's a disaster.

That's left many White Sox fans wondering how the team plans to record 27 outs in Game 5. Even if the offense shows up and gives Chicago a lead, how are they going to protect it?

That's why Burke's outing is so important. The White Sox don't just need him to pitch well. They need him to pitch deep into the game.

Every White Sox pitcher who spoke after the Game 4 defeat talked about being ready to roll. Everyone will have their spikes on, be in the bullpen and be ready to throw if necessary. But what is actually the smartest course of action for Will Venable?

You'd have to think Sean Newcomb will be used at some point. Newcomb has pitched in two games during the ALDS, tossing four scoreless innings. He and Noah Schultz are the only left-handers who weren't used in Game 4. Newcomb last pitched on Wednesday, so he should be well-rested and ready for a multi-inning outing if needed.

If Burke doesn't give the White Sox the ideal length to start the game, look for Schultz or David Sandlin to take over in the middle innings. Those are Venable's fresh multi-inning arms who could help bridge the gap to the later innings.

Ideally, though, Burke and Newcomb could combine for seven or eight innings of work. That would leave Venable with one final decision to make regarding a potential save situation or another high-leverage opportunity late in the game.

Jordan Hicks allowed a home run in Game 4 but has otherwise been sharp throughout the postseason. He also threw just 14 pitches during his outing on Thursday. Should the White Sox need a high-leverage inning to bridge the gap, Hicks is the man for the job.

From there, Will Venable will have to decide whether he wants to turn back to Grant Taylor after how well the Guardians hit him on Thursday.

In an ideal world, it's Burke to Newcomb to Hicks. And if that's not enough to record 27 outs, all the White Sox can do is hope Taylor has better stuff and rises to the occasion.