Dylan Cease allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 3-0 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Monday afternoon.
Cease (3-1) did not walk a batter and matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts, including three of Mike Trout, while making 93 pitches, 64 of which were strikes.
Cease retired 21 of the 23 batters he faced — Angels right fielder Taylor Ward, just named the American League Player of the Week, doubled to lead off the fourth inning, and Tyler Wade was hit by a pitch leading off the sixth inning.
Shohei Ohtani was not in the starting lineup for the Angels because of a strained groin, but he pinch hit in the eighth inning and grounded out.
Kendall Graveman pitched the eighth inning and Liam Hendriks the ninth (fifth save) to finish the shutout. Hendriks fanned the side, including Trout’s fourth strikeout to end the game.
The White Sox had seven hits, including three from Luis Robert.
Angels starter Patrick Sandoval did not allow an earned run in his first three starts this season, but gave up two in the first inning on Monday.
Tim Anderson led off with a single and Robert followed with a single, the baserunners moving up to second and third on left fielder Jo Adell’s fielding error.
Anderson scored on A.J. Pollock’s groundout and Robert later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jake Burger.
The White Sox added to their lead in the sixth when Jose Abreu led off with a single and two outs later scored on a double by Adam Engel.
Sandoval (1-1) gave up three runs on six hits and three walks in six innings. He struck out two and made 96 pitches.
Meanwhile, Cease was sharp from the beginning. He retired the first nine Angels hitters in a row, the streak ending when Ward led off the fourth with a double. Ward was stranded when Cease struck out both Brandon Marsh and Trout, and got Jared Walsh on a grounder to second.
In the sixth, Wade was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He stole second base with two outs but was stranded when Marsh flied out.
–Field Level Media