Dylan Cease delivered a complete-game shutout, holding the opposition to one hit and three walks while striking out 12 over nine innings. The 120-pitch gem secured his seventh win and continued a four-start stretch that has elevated his place in the AL Cy Young race.

What happened

Cease controlled the game from start to finish, throwing 80 of his 120 pitches for strikes. He allowed only four batters to reach safely across nine innings, with one hit and three walks standing between him and an even more imposing final line.

The right-hander finished the shutout himself, recording his 12th strikeout for the final out. That closing punch completed a rare one-hit performance and gave the club its first complete-game one-hitter in 16 years.

Why it matters

The performance marked Cease’s second near-no-hit outing in less than three weeks. Producing two starts of that quality in such a short span adds weight to his case in the AL Cy Young race, particularly as his broader run of form continues to sharpen.

Cease also supplied nine innings without requiring relief support, pairing elite strikeout production with the endurance to finish what he started. The combination of length, limited traffic and a shutout result made this more than another strong outing during his current surge.

By the numbers

Over his last four starts, Cease has posted a 0.90 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP across 30 innings. He has struck out 39 and walked eight during that stretch, consistently missing bats while keeping opponents from creating sustained pressure.

His season totals now stand at 167 strikeouts, a 2.46 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP over 113.1 innings. The complete-game shutout reinforced each part of that profile: high-end strikeout ability, run prevention and control of the bases.

Cease’s 12 strikeouts in this outing accounted for nearly one-third of his total during the four-start run. He needed 120 pitches to cover all nine innings, with two-thirds of those offerings going for strikes.

What to watch next

Cease’s next turn will test whether this four-start surge carries into August. After two near-no-hit bids in less than three weeks, another commanding performance would further strengthen the momentum behind his Cy Young case.

The immediate question is whether Cease can sustain the same balance of strikeouts, limited walks and deep outings. His latest start established a formidable benchmark: nine scoreless innings, one hit allowed and a strikeout to finish the job.