Dylan Cease probably will never know the reason why he wasn’t selected this season to the American League All-Star squad.
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Maybe the Chicago White Sox starter doesn’t even want to know at this point.
“Statistically, the first half I put up kind of speaks for itself,”Cease spoke Sunday after his tenth victory, a 6-3 win against the Cleveland Guardians. “Unfortunately all the other stuff is out of my hands. I think I should have at least been highly, highly considered.”
Cease was 9-4 and finished the first quarter ranked first in majors in strikeouts/9 innings (12.90) as well as third in AL in ERA (2.15). Cease was not allowed to leave the game after Justin Verlander, AL starter, pulled out. However, the league decided to place closer Liam Hendriks on the roster instead of Cease. Hendriks deserved more praise than his teammate.
It didn’t make sense, but Cease deserves credit for not complaining about the injustice. He can only prove them wrong and he continued that trek Sunday with six shutout innings.
“The only time that bulletin board stuff works is if your butt’s dragging and maybe you’re distracted,”Tony La Russa, manager, said about the snub. “He wanted to go. You can’t doubt his credentials. But the process is there. Every year, someone misses.
“But he handled it. He just kept pitching. He’s happy, he pitches. Disappointed, he pitches. He’s an old pro at a young age.”
Cease, 26, admitted he didn’t watch the Midsummer Classic, which turned out to be the least-watched All-Star Game in decades. And he doesn’t mind getting to use the snub as motivation, whether he needs it or not.
“Just trying to win is enough motivation for me,”He said. “But I’ll take any chip on my shoulder I can get.”
The Sox should have a chip on their collective shoulders after being labeled the league’s biggest flop of the first half. But it was well deserved, and splitting with the Guardians this weekend didn’t help matters much.
They struggled back to the.500 mark (48–48) for the fourth consecutive time since May 31. They finished their 19-game series against AL Central opponents with a 9-9 record and gained only half-game over the division-leading Minnesota Twins. The Sox will attempt to win their first winning record Tuesday at Coors Field. This is where they will begin a 2-game series with Colorado Rockies.
We’ve heard this before, of course, but the upcoming stretch is one in which the Sox can make their move. They will play 19 games against teams below 500 before facing the Houston Astros in a four-game series at Sox Park on Aug. 15-18.
“Obviously there’s more ground to make up, but we’re staying in it,”Cease. “And we’re definitely coming.”
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A five-run second inning off Guardians ace Shane Bieber, fueled by home runs from Leury García and AJ Pollock, gave Cease all the run support he needed. Cease threw out seven hits and struck out four to take the major-league record for strikeouts, with 154. He has lowered the ERA to 2.03 while allowing one or zero earned runs in each his 11 last starts, compiling a 0.42 ERA.
With the Aug. 2 trade deadline approaching, La Russa and general manager Rick Hahn have been in constant touch discussing the Sox’s pressing needs.
David Ross, Cubs manager said that Jed Hoyer, the team president, and his front office staff were responsible for the team’s success. “pretty much keep me out of the loop”Ross prefers Ross’s view on trade talks. La Russa is the exact opposite.
“I think the attitude here is always to communicate with the guys in uniform about where we are, what we need,” La Russa said. “That’s just the way it is throughout the organization. I never have understood how some teams don’t communicate with their guys down there.”
Hahn said Friday his focus would be improving the bullpen, and that was before twin implosions against the Guardians during Saturday’s doubleheader. Kendall Graveman served up a two-run home run Sunday to Franmil Reyes in the eighth, and Hendriks, who gave up three runs in Saturday’s loss, allowed a home run to light-hitting Steven Kwan in the ninth.
Cease and Johnny Cueto are leading the rotation, so the Sox need to have more consistency with their other three starters. Friday’s three-inning performance by Lucas Giolito was disappointing. Michael Kopech still has to show that he can throw six innings or more on a regular basis. Lance Lynn turned in a dominant performance Saturday but needs to follow up with a few more before we know he’s back to the old Lance Lynn.
La Russa was optimistic Sunday about the chances of Luis Robert returning next weekend against the Oakland A’s, after the center fielder was placed on the injured list Friday with blurred vision. Josh Harrison was out Sunday with a sore right hip, while Andrew Vaughn was resting.
Eloy Jiménez homered for the second straight game, and La Russa brought up the 2019 season when Jiménez looked like a budding superstar.
“You saw him in ‘19,” La Russa said. “I’ve seen him enough. I’ve seen him on TV. I’ve seen him enough in person. He’s a special producer. He’s going to drive in runs with base hits, and he’s always liable to hit the seats.”
When he’s hot, Jiménez can carry a lineup by himself. Right, Eloy?
“Uh, well, I guess,”He said.
No?
“Yeah, I guess,”He repeated it.
Jiménez was inserted at DH Sunday after the Guardians challenged the left fielder on the basepaths on two occasions Saturday. Asked if that was expected given Jiménez’s recovery from hamstring surgery, La Russa said: “I was impressed with his home run. He ran fast. That’s going to be something we’ve just got to track.”
Jiménez was nonchalant about the Guardians trying to run on him.
“It’s OK,”He said. “I will be there for that. They can eat right now. I’m going to eat later.”
The Sox should be tired of watching the Guardians, Twins, and Guardians eat every season. The talent level in the clubhouse does not account for the record.
“Obviously it hasn’t been our year so far,”Lynn spoke Saturday. “But there’s still some games left, there’s still some things we’re capable of doing.”
With 19 games against teams they should beat, it’s time for the Sox to get to the table and start chowing down.
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