Dylan Cease didn’t want any additional motivation this week.
The Chicago White Sox starter has pitched properly sufficient to be an All-Star. He wasn’t on the roster when the pitchers have been introduced final Sunday. And then he went again to work with two extra stellar outings earlier than the break.
He was in high kind Sunday, permitting one hit whereas placing out eight and strolling two in seven innings in an 11-0 victory in opposition to the Minnesota Twins in entrance of 23,225 at Target Field.
“I want to win,” Cease mentioned. “I don’t need any extra motivation. It’s definitely not hard to find these days.”
Cease and relievers Joe Kelly and José Ruiz mixed on the one-hitter, serving to the Sox take three of 4 in an essential division collection.
“Dylan, he was the horse we rode,” Sox supervisor Tony La Russa mentioned. “He was doing it efficiently and could have pitched longer, but we stopped in the seventh. What he’s done all year. He’s picked us up at important times. This was an important one.”
Yoán Moncada (two-run) and Andrew Vaughn hit back-to-back homers within the seventh and Josh Harrison had a three-run homer later within the inning because the Sox (46-46) gained floor within the American League Central. They path the first-place Twins (50-44) by three video games and the Cleveland Guardians (46-44) by one.
“We’re chasing them in the standings right now,” Cease mentioned. “It was important to make a statement and show that we’re still here. I think it’s going to be a good second half.”
Throughout many of the 4 days at Target Field, the Sox appeared just like the crew many anticipated to see this season. They outscored the Twins 32-10 within the collection. They had 16 hits Sunday and 50 within the 4 video games.
“I know the team understands what we accomplished the last 18 games (going 11-7 in 17 days),” La Russa mentioned. “Everybody — you embrace followers — can resolve for themselves if it’s spectacular or no matter. But I do know they know the way laborious they needed to work to get that file and get again to .500.
“They need the days off and we’ll be ready Friday.”
Cease set the tone, preserving the Twins hitless till Alex Kirilloff singled to left with one out within the fifth. He adopted up 5⅔ scoreless innings within the second recreation of Tuesday’s doubleheader in Cleveland, which the Sox received 7-0.
He improved to 9-4 whereas decreasing his ERA to 2.15. He’s third within the AL in ERA and leads the majors with 150 strikeouts. He has 501 profession strikeouts, reaching 500 faster (401⅔ innings) than any pitcher in Sox historical past, surpassing Chris Sale (472⅓), in response to Elias.
“He has been unbelievable for us,” Sox designated hitter José Abreu mentioned via an interpreter. “Outstanding. All the emphasis and energy to get higher with every outing. That has been useful to us.
“I don’t know how he’s not in the All-Star Game. It’s crazy.”
Shortstop Tim Anderson and nearer Liam Hendriks will symbolize the crew on the All-Star Game on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The Sox took the lead Sunday with a two-out rally within the fifth with Anderson taking part in an enormous function.
Seby Zavala walked and Adam Engel singled to left. Both superior a base when left fielder Nick Gordon didn’t area Engel’s hit cleanly, giving the Sox runners on second and third.
Anderson drove them in with a single to proper on a 1-2 pitch from Chris Archer. Moncada doubled and Vaughn adopted with a two-run double in opposition to reliever Tyler Duffey, making it 4-0.
The Sox broke the sport open with six runs within the seventh. Moncada’s two-run homer to middle in opposition to Joe Smith went 437 ft. Vaughn adopted with a homer to left.
Harrison made it 10-0 with the three-run homer later within the inning.
“If you can produce one through nine, which we can, it’s unstoppable,” mentioned Vaughn, who was 3-for-4 with three RBIs on Sunday and 9-for-17 with 9 RBIs within the collection. “It’s a special feat and we have to keep going.”
The Sox head into the All-Star break having received 5 of their final six video games. They return Friday with 4 video games in three days in opposition to the Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“We have to value the effort everyone has made to win games,” Abreu mentioned. “As the stats say, we’re improving and that’s good. Coming into the All-Star break, everyone deserves a good break and then come back with some intensity.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com