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SAN DIEGO – There should have been a better finish to Dylan Cease’s remarkable 2022 campaign.
Not necessarily something as spectacular as a no-hitter, which Cease missed by one out and one Luis Arraez single on Sept. 3 in Chicago. But something more along the lines of six scoreless innings with seven or eight strikeouts would have made sense for the American League Cy Young candidate on Saturday night against the Padres at Petco Park.
After all, the right-hander made 14 consecutive starts from May 29 to Aug. 11 in which he allowed one earned run or fewer to become the first starter (non-opener) since 1913 to accomplish such a feat, according to Baseball Reference. But Cease didn’t get the storybook ending, so to speak, during a 5-2 loss to the Padres.
In five-plus innings and 104 pitches, Cease allowed four runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts. It was just the second time since Aug. 5 (covering 11 starts) that Cease allowed more than three runs.
San Diego’s last four hitters reached base against Cease in the sixth, via Manny Machado’s single, Jake Cronenworth’s go-ahead home run on a pretty well-placed slider and then walks to Brandon Drury and Josh Bell. But again, the big picture should not be overlooked.
Cease is an elite starting pitcher, working his way toward a true No. 1.
“He’s been so consistent,” said White Sox acting manager Miguel Cairo. “He came with a purpose to get better and to be good and to be an elite pitcher, and that’s what he has been doing.”
