Dylan Cease lit up for five runs in loss to Rays

Run support was hard to come by for both pitchers in this one, as Cease and Cardinals pitcher Kyle Leahy combined to allow just two earned runs on the night. Cease’s lone earned run came in the fifth inning when Jordan Walker singled to bring home Nathan Church to put the Cardinals up 1-0, but he was bailed out of the loss in the sixth inning thanks to a Kazuma Okamoto double that brought home Vladdy Jr. to tie the game at 1-1. Were it not for a three-run outing against the Rays, Cease’s numbers for July would have been even more impressive than the 3-1 record he posted with a 1.00 ERA and 0.72 WHIP. He’ll look to continue his recent run of dominance in his next start, which is scheduled for Wednesday on the the road against the Astros.

On the second anniversary of Cease’s no-hitter for the Padres in 2024, it looked like he’d be on the verge of history once again as he held the Red Sox without a hit through five innings before Andruw Monasterio led off the sixth with a double. It was the only hit he’d allow on the day as he went the distance in this one, recording the last six outs all via the strikeout to collect a dozen.

Cease took the ball for the American League and delivered an impressive performance in his first Midsummer Classic. He struck out Kyle Schwarber with a nasty slider before blowing a 98-mph fastball past Juan Soto. It was Freddie Freeman who extended the inning with a nine-pitch walk, but Cease rebounded to strike out CJ Abrams and escape the frame completely unscathed. The 30-year-old righty wrapped up a phenomenal first half in his Blue Jays debut with a 2.56 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 148/44 K/BB ratio over 98 1/3 innings. He’s performed like a bona fide fantasy ace and will open the second half with a home start this weekend against his former club, the upstart White Sox.

Cease has been outstanding in 2026 in his first year with the Blue Jays with a 2.56 ERA and 148 strikeouts, albeit with an unlucky 6-4 record. He’ll likely go an inning — maybe two — before giving way to the plethora of quality arms in the AL “bullpen.”

Cease was at 106 pitches after seven, but he clearly wanted to continue, and after a nine-pitch eighth, he was allowed to start the ninth. He wound up throwing just three pitches then, the last of which was a clean single from Heliot Ramos. Tyler Walker replaced him and preserved the shutout against his former club. Cease, who pitched a no-hitter for the Padres in 2024, struck out 11 and walked three. He has six 10-strikeout games this season and 31 for his career. The first-time All-Star closes out the first half 6-4 with a 2.56 ERA. He’s second in the majors with 148 strikeouts and seventh in ERA.

Jeff Hoffman and Louis Varland finished up the four-hitter. Cease allowed three hits and walked one in his fourth scoreless start this season. He’s second in the majors with 137 strikeouts and 11th with a 2.79 ERA. He’s given up five homers, which is tied with Ranger Suarez for the lowest total among qualified starters. Although Cease finished second in the AL Cy Young balloting in 2022 and fourth in the NL balloting in 2026, the All-Star nod he’s sure to pick up on Saturday will be the first of his career.

Cease had trouble finding the zone in the first inning against the Rangers. It cost him, with a run scoring on a base hit after two free passes. He settled down for three quiet innings before running into more trouble in the fifth. Cease walked a batter and allowed a run in on two hits with two outs in the inning. He couldn’t make it out of the frame, ending his day at 107 pitches. Both inherited runners would come in to score, adding two more runs to his line. He struck out 10 to help limit the damage. The 30-year-old right-hander will look to bounce back when he takes a 3.02 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 128/40 K/BB ratio across 83 1/3 innings into a start against the Mariners in Seattle on Friday.

Cease gave up three hits, walked four and struck out eight. He’s allowed three earned runs in 16 2/3 innings with 26 strikeouts and nine walks in three starts since returning from the injured list. Cease has a 2.75 ERA. He’s lined up to face the Rangers at home this weekend.

It’ll be made up on August 6. There’s actually a ton to unpack here from a fantasy fallout standpoint. Toronto’s scheduled starter, Dylan Cease, will presumably take the ball for Monday’s series opener against the Astros. That would delay Shane Bieber’s return from the injured list for his season debut until Tuesday’s showdown in the Rogers Centre. Cease would close out a two-start week with a showdown against the Rangers at home. Meanwhile, Shota Imanaga gets the ball on Monday against the free-falling Mets as a part of a two-start week that wraps up with a road tilt against the Brewers.

In his second start back from the injured list, Cease allowed four hits and walked four while striking out seven. He posted 16 whiffs on the day with a 15 percent swinging strike rate, but he threw only 61 percent of his pitches for strikes. He really struggled to land both his curve and changeup for strikes, but, luckily, he threw enough strikes with his four-seam fastball, and his slider missed more than enough bats. He gets a tougher test against the Cubs next week, but he’s obviously somebody you’re keeping in your lineups.