Dylan Cease was not the answer Tony La Russa and White Sox fans were hoping he would be as the right-handed starter walked three batters and allowed three earned runs in 1.2 innings against the Astros in Game 3 of the ALDS.
Cease retired Houston in order to begin the game, striking out Alex Bregman on a 100mph fastball and then saw Eloy Jimenez give Chicago a 1-0 lead with an RBI-single to center field. However, Cease suddenly lost the ability to find the strike zone and after two consecutive walks in the second inning Kyle Tucker ripped a 2-run double to right-center field. Following a sac-fly that moved Tucker to third base, Astros’ rookie Jake Meyers singled to left that gave his team a 3-1 lead.
With two outs and a runner on in the second inning, Cease walked Altuve on four pitches and that was enough for La Russa to make a pitching change. Michael Kopech is now in and will be expected to pitch several innings after Cease’s short outing in the win or go home Game 3 Sunday night.
Astros Lineup
Jose Altuve 2B
Brantley LF
Bregman 3B
Alvarez DH
Correa SS
Tucker RF
Gurriel 1B
Meyers CF
Maldonado C
Garcia SP
White Sox Lineup
Anderson SS
Robert CF
Abreu 1B
Grandal C
Jimenez LF
Moncada 3B
Sheets DH
Garcia RF
Hernandez 2B
Cease SP
Top 1
Altuve with a pop-fly in shallow right field.
Brantley grounds out to Hernandez.
Cease strikes out Bregman with a 100mph fastball.
A 13-pitch first inning for Cease.
Score: Astros 0, White Sox 0
Bottom 1
Anderson lines a single to right field on a 3-2 pitch.
Robert lines out to center field.
Abreu hits flies out to center field.
Grandal draws a two-out walk.
Jimenez singles sharply to center. Anderson scores and the White Sox lead 1-0.
Eloy coming in clutch! pic.twitter.com/Yet01kXBkf
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) October 11, 2021
Moncada lines out to right-center field.
Garcia throws 25 pitches in the first inning.
Score: Astros 0, White Sox 1
Top 2
Alvarez draws a leadoff walk.
Correa walks on five pitches.
Cease falls behind 2-0 and Tucker rips a 2-run double to right-center field. Astros take a 2-1 lead.
Kyle Tucker rakes! pic.twitter.com/dBJRCVgNXa
— MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2021
Gurriel flies out to deep right field and Tucker tags up to third base.
With the infield drawn in Meyers smashes an RBI-single to left field past a diving Moncada. Astros now lead 3-1.
Keep that same energy, we love it.#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/650mCNoqQq
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 11, 2021
Meyers steals second base.
Cease strikes out Maldonado looking.
Altuve draws a four-pitch walk.
Michael Kopech replaces Cease.
Brantley flies out to left field.
Score: Astros 3, White Sox 1
Bottom 2
Sheets strikes out swinging on a fastball up and away.
Garcia can’t check his swing on a breaking pitch low and inside and he strikes out swinging.
Hernandez draws a two-out walk.
Anderson swings at the first pitch and grounds out to Correa.
Garcia throws 15 pitches in the second, 40 total.
Score: Astros 3, White Sox 1
Top 3
Bregman chops one back to the mound, ball glances off Kopech’s glove as he reached up and it’s an infield single.
Kopech freezes Alvarez with an inside fastball at 97mph for a strikeout.
Correa hits a ground ball to Anderson, who makes a nice play for the force out at second base.
Tucker hits an opposite-field, two-run homer. Astros lead 5-1.
4 RBI already!
Kyle Tucker wants a sweep! pic.twitter.com/ZGJKHo2Xkr
— MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2021
Gurriel strikes out swinging.
Score: Astros 5, White Sox 1
Bottom 3
Robert lays off three straight pitches after falling behind 1-2 and draws a leadoff walk.
Abreu strikes out swinging on a curveball in the dirt.
Grandal hits an opposite-field, two-run home run and the White Sox cut the lead in half 5-3.
