Cease (7-9) took the loss Friday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over five innings against the Padres. He struck out seven.
Cease was highly effective but far from efficient in needing 104 pitches to complete five frames. The only run he allowed came in the fifth, when Matthew Batten struck out but advanced all the way to second base on a wild pitch. He then took third on another wild pitch before being driven in by a Xander Bogaerts sac fly. While Cease's season total of 214 strikeouts is elite, the 27-year-old has struggled to a 4.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 177 innings. He finished strong with a 1.93 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 31 strikeouts across 23.1 innings over his final four starts, however.