Anthony

Kay

Kay made it through the first inning without any issue, but ran into a bit of trouble in the second inning. After walking Kyle Tucker to start the inning, Kay would then allow a double and hit Max Muncy to load the bases with no outs. Santiago Espinal would single to drive home two runs, putting the Dodgers up 2-1, but Kay would tightrope his way out of danger after that to limit the damage, and was solid the rest of the way. The lefty was in control of the strike zone all night, allowing just one walk while throwing a strike on 61.8 percent of his pitches. This was a much-needed bounce back after Kay allowed six earned runs in his previous start. Kay will hope to build on this in his next start on Thursday against the Yankees.

After the Braves and White Sox were postponed yesterday, the White Sox opted to bump back the entire rotation a day. Kay will go tonight and Sean Burke will go on Saturday. Neither is a recommended option against the Dodgers.

The game will be made up on August 20. Expect Thursday’s scheduled starters — Anthony Kay and Martin Perez — to be pushed back to Saturday or skipped altogether depending on how each club wants to align their rotations going forward.

After getting through the first inning unscathed, Kay fell victim to the long ball in the second inning when Brandon Marsh belted a two-run shot into center field to tie the game at 2-2. That would be the start of what turned into a disastrous inning for Kay, who would see three more runs cross in the inning before escaping the frame. He would allow a solo homer to Adolis Garcia in the fourth inning to cap the rough outing, and did not return in the fifth inning. While he only walked two batters on the night, Kay threw only 57 percent of his pitches for strikes, and anything in the zone proved hittable. It was the first time since April 27th that he allowed more than two earned runs in a start, so hopefully he’ll be in line for a quick bounce back. That said, things won’t get any easier for Kay the next time he takes the mound, as he’s scheduled to take on the Braves on Thursday.

Wenceel Pérez’s third-inning homer was the only damage. Kay left after a walk and an error to begin the sixth, but fortunately for him, the White Sox didn’t mess around and turned right to Grant Taylor, who successfully negotiated the jam. It’s third straight start in which Kay has allowed exactly one earned run, and he’s 4-0 with a 1.65 ERA in his last five turns. We still wouldn’t want to bet on him in mixed leagues, but it’s been quite a run for the 31-year-old. He’ll make his next start in Philadelphia.

Brooks Lee homered for the Twins as the second batter of the game, but it turned out to be the lone run Minnesota would score. Kay went on to strike out five and walk one. The average exit velocity of his 17 balls in play today was an unusually high 97 mph, but it didn’t much matter. He’ll take a 3.96 ERA into his start against the Tigers on Saturday.

Kay labored through a 35-pitch first inning, giving up one run and leaving the bases loaded. He settled in nicely, pitching into the sixth without giving up another run, allowing just two more runners to reach base on a walk and a hit batter. Kay struck out five. The 31-year-old left-hander will take a 4.27 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and a 34/22 K/BB ratio across 46 1/3 innings into a start against the Twins in Chicago on Monday.

The 31-year-old southpaw struck out four batters on the night while issuing two free passes. The Royals scratched out a run against him in the opening inning, then Kay blanked them until the seventh where he exited after allowing a leadoff triple to Kyle Isbel. Kay got 10 whiffs on 97 offerings on the night, posting a CSW of 27 percent. Now 3-1 on the season, he’ll carry a 4.61 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and a 29/19 K/BB ratio (41 innings) into Tuesday’s matchup against the Mariners in Seattle. He remains nothing more than a fringe streaming option in deeper mixed leagues.

Kay also allowed three hits and two walks while striking out five and posting a below-average 26 percent CSW and eight percent swinging strike rate. It wasn’t a dominant day for Kay, but he made the big pitches when he needed to, posting a 46 percent PutAway Rate, which is well above his season-long average of 28 percent. His changeup was really his only pitch that missed bats, and has been his best pitch all season. We would avoid starting him against the Cubs next week.

Kay struck out five, so that’s an improvement. Through seven appearances this year, he has a 5.70 ERA and a poor 20/15 K/BB in 30 innings. He’s also hit five batters. The White Sox gave him a two-year deal, so they’ll want to stick with him. He’s looked like a middle reliever at best, however. He’ll face the Mariners next weekend.