Cease (14-6) earned the victory Thursday in Oakland, striking out nine over six scoreless innings while allowing three hits and two walks in a 14-2 win.
Cease made it look easy, allowing just one baserunner to reach second base. He's allowed only four hits and four walks while fanning 16 over 15 scoreless innings in September, and during Thursday's outing he passed the 200-strikeout mark for the second consecutive season. The 26-year-old's ERA has dropped to 2.06 for the year and he's certainly in contention for the American League Cy Young award. His next start will likely come in the middle of next week against Colorado.