Cease pitches Sox to shutout victory
CHICAGO >> Dylan Cease came within one out of his first career no-hitter before Luis Arraez lined a single, and the Chicago White Sox pounded the Minnesota Twins 13-0 on Saturday night.
Cease, vying for Chicago’s third no-hitter in as many seasons, got a huge ovation when came out to start the ninth. With fans on their feet, he struck out Caleb Hamilton swinging on a 1-2 slider and retired Gilberto Celestino on a fly to center. Arraez with his line-drive single to right on a 1-1 pitch. After a meeting on the mound, Cease struck out Kyle Garlick to end the game for his first nine-inning complete game.
The only other runners Cease (13-6) allowed were when he walked Jake Cave in the third and Gilberto Celestino in the sixth. Cease had seven strikeouts. He threw 103 pitches, 68 for strikes.
Eloy Jiménez gave the White Sox a 4-0 lead in the first with a long, opposite-field drive to rightcenter against Tyler Mahle (1-1). Romy Gonzalez added a three-run shot in the fourth against Aaron Sanchez for his first career homer. Elvis Andrus added a grand slam in the eighth. RAYS 2, YANKEES 1 >> Corey Kluber limited the Yankees to a pair of singles over seven shutout innings and Tampa Bay withstood Aaron Judge’s 52nd home run to cut itsr deficit in the AL East to four games.
The first-place Yankees, who have seen their 15 1/2-game advantage slip away, have lost six of seven. This was the second of six games between the teams in a 10-day stretch. Yandy Diaz hit a two-run single in the third inning and the Rays made it stand up. BRAVES 2, MARLINS 1 >> Robbie Grossman drew a tiebreaking bases-loaded walk against Steven Okert in the ninth inning, bailing out closer Kenley Jansen and giving Atlanta the win.
Matt Olson singled to begin the ninth to break an 0-for-22 skid and advanced to third on Michael Harris II’s double. After Okert (5-2) intentionally walked Vaughn Grissom to load the bases and pinch-hitter
Travis d’Arnaud lined out against a five-man infield, Grossman took drew the walk to win it.
RED SOX 5, RANGERS 3 >> Brayan Bello pitched six scoreless innings in his first major league win and John Schreiber escaped a jam in the ninth, helping Boston beat Texas.
Bello (1-4) allowed three hits, struck out five and walked one in the longest of his eight big league appearances. Rafael Devers drove in two runs in Boston’s fourth straight victory. Devers, Xander Bogaerts and Trevor Story each had two hits.
BLUE JAYS 4, PIRATES 1 >> Bo Bichette hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the seventh inning to lift Toronto.
George Springer and Bichette each had two hits for the Blue Jays, who won for the fourth time in five games and maintained their lead for the third and final wild card in the American League. Toronto drew within six games of the division-leading New York Yankees in the AL East.
MARINERS 4, GUARDIANS 0 >> Robbie Ray started September the way he finished August with six solid innings as Seattle won its sixth straight.
CARDINALS 8, CUBS 4 >> Paul Goldschmidt hit his 34th homer, and St. Louis won its third straight.
NATIONALS 7, METS 1 >> Mets ace Max Scherzer exited with left side fatigue after five sharp innings and 67 pitches and NL East-leading New York lost to the Washington.
ROYALS 12, TIGERS 2 >> Kyle Isbel hit his first grand slam, Bobby Witt Jr. added a three-run home run and Kansas City routed Detroit.
DODGERS 12, PADRES 1 >> Julio Urias continued to solidify his spot atop the Dodgers’ rotation while Mookie Betts hit one of Los Angeles’ four home runs in a victory over the San Diego Padres that ended their three-game losing streak.
BREWERS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 6 >> Tyrone Taylor hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning after pinchhitter Rowdy Tellez’s tying solo shot in the ninth, lifting the Milwaukee Brewers to a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.