CHICAGO — Joe Ryan started for the Minnesota Twins against Sean Burke of the Chicago White Sox in their game on May 26, 2026. The Twins were under .500 in the 2026 season, while the White Sox were above .500 on May 27, 2026, the day after Memorial Day.

Ryan carried a 3-3 win-loss record into the game, along with a 3.02 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP for the 2026 season. He had allowed just three earned runs over his last 18 innings pitched. In five road starts during 2026, Ryan posted a 3.95 ERA, with nine of his 12 earned runs allowed in the season coming during two of those outings.

Burke entered with a 2-3 record, a 4.08 ERA, and a 1.21 WHIP in 2026. His home outings had been particularly challenging—he held a 4.73 ERA at Guaranteed Rate Field in 2026 and had surrendered 10 earned runs across his past two home starts, both of which ended in White Sox losses.

Twins hitters were 4-for-9 against Burke, with each hit going for extra bases. White Sox hitters were 3-for-7 against Ryan, excluding Andrew Benintendi. Benintendi was 8-for-19 against Ryan, with half of those hits going for extra bases.

The White Sox were above .500 on May 27, 2026. The last time they had been over .500 on Memorial Day itself was in 2021; in 2022, they finished the day exactly at .500. The Twins’ sub-.500 standing in 2026 followed their 2025 decision to trade away nearly every valuable asset.