When you’re a major-league pitcher and are talked about alongside Bob Gibson, you recognize you’re doing one thing proper.
And Dylan Cease has been doing lots proper throughout a historic run.
The Chicago White Sox right-hander adopted up a implausible June with a July that was simply as spectacular. He was named the American League Pitcher of the Month in each months.
He allowed one run on two hits in six innings Friday in his first August begin, incomes the win in a 2-1 victory towards the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.
It was his thirteenth consecutive begin permitting one or no earned runs. He’s the primary starter (non-opener) in American or National League historical past to perform the feat, in response to STATS.
“Truthfully I don’t really think about it that much,” Cease mentioned of the stretch after Friday’s recreation. “I’m more focused on what I need to do to keep it going.”
Manager Tony La Russa credited Cease for avoiding distractions.
“The most important thing is the way that he’s handling it mentally,” La Russa mentioned after Friday’s recreation. “Feels good and he’ll come to work tomorrow and prepare for his next start. He’s done a terrific job of putting it behind him. And it’s what’s next.”
Cease is 12-4 with a 1.98 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 22 begins this season. He’s the primary Sox to earn Pitcher of the Month honors twice in the identical season and joins Chris Sale (twice), José Contreras (3 times) and Mark Buehrle (twice) as the one Sox to win the award a number of instances.
Here are three extra numbers through the stretch that illustrate why Cease is within the dialogue for the American League Cy Young Award.
0.59 ERA
Cease has a 0.59 ERA and a .174 opponents common through the outstanding 13-start streak. That’s the fourth-best ERA since 1913 over any 13-start stretch in the identical season.
Hall of Famer and St. Louis Cardinals nice Gibson tops the record with a 0.53 ERA from June 6-Aug. 9, 1968. He gained the National League Cy Young and MVP awards that season.
Jake Arrieta had a 0.57 ERA for the Cubs from July 30-Oct. 2, 2015, in his Cy Young season.
Hall of Famer Don Drysdale had a 0.59 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers from May 5-June 26, 1968. He allowed seven earned runs in 107⅓ innings.
Cease has allowed 5 earned runs in 76 innings throughout his stretch that began May 29. His 1.98 ERA is the third-lowest by a Sox pitcher over his first 22 begins of a season since 1920, trailing solely Gary Peters (1.50 in 1963) and Tommy John (1.94 in 1968).
“I’m just trying to do the same thing every start, really,” Cease mentioned Tuesday. “The greatest emphasis and focus for me is what I’ve to deal with to really execute. I attempt to not get carried away with something apart from, ‘Hey, what’s my focus at present?’ I attempt to visualize it, attempt to deal with it.
“I think that’s maybe where consistency comes from. I’m just trying to take the ball every day, execute pitches and be stable and be someone that can be relied on.”
95 strikeouts
Cease retired the final 13 batters he confronted Friday. He concluded his evening putting out Adolis García to wrap up the sixth inning.
He had 5 strikeouts Friday and has 95 through the 13-game stretch.
His 166 strikeouts this season rank second within the American League, and he leads the AL with 12.18 strikeouts per 9 innings.
“It sucks for me coming in after him because we have the same stuff but his is actually just better. That is not fun for me,” Sox nearer Liam Hendriks joked Friday after incomes the save, the one centesimal of his profession. “Obviously he wasn’t as crisp as he would have preferred (Friday, strolling three), however (he) was in a position to get us by six and hold us in place to win.
“After the first inning he was pretty much untouchable. That’s something that he does. He has that ability, even when he doesn’t have his stuff, even when he doesn’t have location or the crispness or anything like that, he grinds through and makes sure he continues to put us in a chance to win the game. And he kept it to one run. This is a testament to his ability to mitigate the danger.”
8 wins
Cease is 8-2 through the stretch. He has gained his final 5 begins, a career-best streak. The Sox are 17-5 in his begins this season and 37-47 in any other case.
“What he’s doing right now is really good, and he shows everybody that he’s competing right now and it’s good to be on his side,” Sox left fielder Eloy Jiménez mentioned after Friday’s recreation.
Jiménez hit a go-ahead solo homer within the fourth inning Friday. He has homered in 10 of Cease’s begins (12 whole) over his profession, and the Sox are 9-1 in these video games. Jiménez and Cease had been acquired from the Cubs as a part of a 2017 commerce for José Quintana.
Cease, who’s in his fourth season, is one win shy of matching his profession excessive for a season (13 in 2021). His 4.1 WAR is tops amongst pitchers within the American League, in response to Baseball Reference.
“I’m really happy with where I’m at,” Cease mentioned Tuesday. “I’m never really content. It’s always a process, but this is about as good as I could have drawn it up so far.”
Reynaldo López nears return from IL
Reliever Reynaldo López anticipates getting back from the injured record for Tuesday’s doubleheader towards the Royals in Kansas City, Mo.
López, who has been on the IL since July 25 with a decrease again pressure, pitched a simulated recreation Saturday at Globe Life Field, going through Tim Anderson and Gavin Sheets. He mentioned he threw 20 or 21 pitches.
“I feel good,” López mentioned by an interpreter. “No soreness, no pain. That was the most important thing: that I felt 100%.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com