Cease strikes out eight and wins ninth game

Cease has been shut down after the Blue Jays were officially eliminated from playoff contention following a loss to the Orioles in the front-end of Wednesday’s doubleheader. The 30-year-old upper-echelon fantasy starter was unlikely to pitch again this season after undergoing an MRI that revealed shoulder inflammation earlier this week. The positive news is that he won’t require surgery and should be a full-go for spring training. He wraps up an impressive Blue Jays debut with a stellar 2.40 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 239/78 K/BB ratio across 169 innings over 29 starts. He’ll be a top-10 starter off the board in most fantasy drafts next spring.

Cease added that he’s been diagnosed with shoulder inflammation after undergoing an MRI over the weekend following Friday’s lackluster start against the Rangers. The 30-year-old upper-echelon fantasy starter added that they’re still determining whether he’ll make another start this season, but he doesn’t believe the issue will impact his availability for next year. That’s the encouraging news. It seems highly unlikely that he’ll take the ball again this season with Toronto sitting three games out of the final AL Wild Card playoff spot entering the final week of the season.

The results of that exam are not yet known, but Cease will not make his scheduled start against the Orioles in Baltimore on Wednesday. Blue Jays’ skipper John Schneider did not rule out the chance that he pitches over the season’s final weekend against the Reds. Cease has been complaining of fatigue in his shoulder, the result of carrying a heavy load for the Jays’ pitching staff this season.

The Blue Jays really needed this game with Cease on the hill and a playoff spot within shouting distance, but it simply didn’t happen. The metaphorical floodgates opened up in the fourth inning after a throwing error by shortstop Ernie Clement led to three unearned runs crossing the plate before the frame was over. Cease finished with only three strikeouts and issued a season-high six walks in the ugly outing. He’ll close out the regular season with a road tilt against the division-rival Orioles on Wednesday.

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.

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.

Cease allowed two hits and three walks. He became the first American League pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts this season, a mark he has hit in six consecutive campaigns. The last two pitchers to accomplish that feat were Max Scherzer and Chris Sale. Cease has been on a roll, and the AL Cy Young race between him and Cam Schlittler is getting tight. Up next is a rematch against the Yankees, this time in the Bronx.

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.