Cease did not factor into the decision Tuesday against Boston, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks while striking out seven across five innings.
It was the first time since June 27 that Cease yielded at least four walks, and the two home runs he gave up tied a season high he set three times prior to Tuesday's start. Still, the right-hander extended his streak of seven-plus strikeouts to 16 starts and came away with his third consecutive no-decision. It was far from his best outing on the season, but Cease is still firmly in the mix for the AL Cy Young award, as he ranks second in the majors in strikeouts (191), fourth in ERA (2.40) and 10th in WHIP (1.07) across 131.1 innings. He's lined up to take on the Yankees this weekend at Rogers Centre.