Could Dylan Cease avoid the second inning meltdown? That was the development question Cease was trying to figure out an answer as that inning haunted him. In his previous two outings, Cease allowed nine runs total in the second inning on nine hits. In the other eight innings pitched, Cease kept the opposing team scoreless only allowing one hit. Quite the difference from having a spectacular start, and being happy that the Rookie made it through five innings.
Cease made quick work of the Mets in the first inning striking out Michael Conforto and Peter Alonso. Starting the second inning, and facing the veteran Robinson Cano, Cease’s 3-1 fastball was set up on a tee and deposited into the left-field bleachers for a solo home run. That was followed up by walking Wilson Ramos, and the thought of another second inning meltdown loomed.
Not this time. Cease was able to reset himself after the walk to get J.D. Davis to hit a roller to Yolmer Sanchez starting the 4-6-3 double play. Todd Frazier would end the inning with a fly to right field, and Cease escaped with just allowing one run.
While getting the bad second inning monkey off his back, Cease continued to pitch well in the third and fourth innings. Adeiny Hechavarria singled in the third but was erased on the next pitch when Cease got Jeff McNeil to ground into a 3-6-1 double play. Cease navigated through the Mets middle-of-the-order by striking out Alonso for a second time and winning the second battle against Cano for a harmless groundout.
Cease faced a little pressure in the fifth inning when Davis singled to right field and started Frazier on a 3-0 count. On a 96 mph fastball to the outside corner, Frazier hit a high infield pop fly that Ryan Goins made the catch. With that bit of good fortune, Cease received more help thanks to an excellent defensive play by Leury Garcia. Amed Rosario singled to right field, and as Davis was rounding second base, Garcia made a terrific throw to Goins who applied the tag for the third out.
Leury Garcia with a DIME pic.twitter.com/RRv3KFRZL0
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) August 1, 2019
The pressure was turned up in the sixth inning. Hechavarria walked, and McNeil singled to left field to start the inning. Conforto could only muster a weak grounder to AJ Reed covering first base, but it allowed both runners to move into scoring position. On the very first pitch, Alonso hit a hard grounder towards third base. Goins made a great defensive play to pick it and throw Hechavarria out at home. With two outs, Cease was close to getting out of the inning unscathed.
That was until Cano dealt another blow, this time a double to right field scoring one run and giving the Mets a 2-0 lead. Ramos would follow that up with a single to right field that quickly plated Alonso, but Garcia made another excellent throw to home plate in time for Welington Castillo to apply a tag on Cano. Instead, Castillo dropped the ball and was charged with an error, and the Mets tagged Cease for three runs in the sixth inning.
Rick Renteria had Cease start the seventh inning with 94 pitches. On a 2-2 count, Cease spun a curveball that Frazier couldn’t check his swing on for a strikeout. Rosario groundout to second, and ending the afternoon with an exclamation point, froze Hechavarria on a 97 mph fastball called strike three. The longest outing of his young MLB career, Cease’s final line was 7 IP 7 H 4 R 3 ER 2 BB 6 K and his season ERA is now at 6.11.
Opposite of Cease on the mound was Mets starting pitcher, Zack Wheeler, who wasn’t moved before the trade deadline and is a free agent after this season. Perhaps an audition to the White Sox front office, Wheeler was terrific. On just 88 pitches, Wheeler pitched seven scoreless innings striking out seven with no walks and only allowed four hits.
Game Notes:
- The netting may have saved Jeff McNeil from injury
Official: the net saves pic.twitter.com/yFitJpBu5A
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) August 1, 2019
- AJ Reed had a Golden Sombrero on the day, and is 6-for-44 with 21 strikeouts since joining the White Sox.
- The loss ends a 10-game home stand for the White Sox who finish with a 2-8 record. They are now 4-16 since the All-Star Break.
Record: 46-60 | Box Score | Highlights
