Cease (6-5) took the loss against the Rays on Monday, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out seven across six innings.
The seven hits and five runs allowed both matched season highs for Cease, but with two of those runs unearned, he still came away with his third-straight quality start and eighth of the year. It was also the 12th time in 15 starts that Cease fanned seven or more batters, and his 155 strikeouts are second-most in the majors behind Jacob Misiorowski (173). Despite Monday's loss, Cease is firmly in the conversation for the American League Cy Young award with a 2.67 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 104.1 innings. He's lined up to face the red-hot Red Sox on the road this weekend. Cease's last start at Fenway Park was June 16, when he earned the win after pitching five scoreless frames.