Dylan Cease reaches 200 strikeouts

Cease’s average fastball velocity wasn’t any better than last time — checking in at 94.8 mph — but he struck out nine and managed to keep the Orioles off the board until an RBI single from Pete Alonso in the fifth. Perhaps most impressively, he worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning by striking out three straight batters. Cease has regained the AL strikeout lead (238 after today) and lowered his ERA to 2.38 today, but Cam Schlitter (1.95 ERA after today) isn’t going to be hard to beat for the AL Cy Young Award.

Cease’s velocity bounced back some last time out in a strong outing against the Guardians, but he averaged a season-low 94.9 mph with his fastball tonight. His previous low was 95.2 mph from his Aug. 28 outing. He averaged 97.6 mph through 18 starts, but his high mark in nine starts since is 96.2 mph. It seems like it could be a real concern for the Jays if they make it to the postseason, though they have to get there first and tonight’s loss doesn’t help. Cease figures to make his next start Saturday or Sunday versus the Orioles.

Pitching with a huge lead after the second inning, Cease cruised to his 10th win of the season here. It was more of an old school outing for Cease though as he leaned heavily on his fastball and slider without throwing many changeups. That pitch was all over the place, about five ticks slower than its season average, and a few floated on him so it made sense that he went away from it. Nevertheless, Cease left this start with a 2.25 ERA as he continues to work towards his first Cy Young award. He has a two-start week coming up first against the Athletics in Sacramento and then back home for a meeting with the Orioles.

In July and August, Cease has allowed just 11 earned runs in 10 starts while striking out 89 batters in 73 innings. This effort could only lower his ERA from 2.37 to 2.33. The 30-year-old has lived up to his big contract this season and should finish quite high in the Cy Young balloting. He draws the Guardians next week in another no-thought-required start for fantasy managers.

Cease walked five batters and managed to keep a no-hit bid alive until Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled on his 106th pitch of the contest with two outs in the seventh inning. He finished with eight strikeouts in his second consecutive outing against New York. The 30-year-old All-Star righty has allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine consecutive starts since July 3. He’ll carry a stellar 2.37 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 209/64 K/BB ratio across 144 1/3 innings into a face off against the struggling Mariners in his next start on Friday.

With his velocity down some once again, Cease was probably one batter away from getting pulled in the fourth in a rare off night tonight, but he did get through five with seven strikeouts. The Red Sox simply didn’t make him pay enough for walking four and giving up two homers. Cease will take on the Yankees on Sunday.

Louis Varland gave up a game-tying homer in the ninth. Cease has allowed four earned runs and struck out 56 in six starts since the beginning of July, and he’s nearly caught Cam Schlittler for the AL ERA lead (2.28 vs. 2.26). He’s first in the AL and second in the majors with his 184 strikeouts. His next start will come against the same Red Sox team he pitched a one-hitter against on two weeks ago.

The decision to pitch Taillon in Houston bumps Dylan Cease back to Thursday’s series opener against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. It’ll be José Soriano making his Toronto debut on Friday as they transition to a six-man rotation on a temporary basis.

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.