It'll be Cease vs. Garcia in a must-win Game 3
Dylan Cease will try to support manager Tony La Russa's declaration that the strikeout maven is the "right choice" to stave the White Sox from elimination from the Houston Astros in Game 3 of the American League Division Series Sunday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
"We're fired up to watch him," La Russa said as the White Sox attempt to remain alive in this best-of-five series.
Cease, 25, struck out 226 in 165⅔ innings. He was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in two starts against the Astros in 2021. Cease, however, became a clear choice due to the health of left-hander Carlos Rodon, who has started only twice since Sept. 10 because of shoulder stiffness.
"If we get through (Sunday), you might see him (in Game 4)," La Russa said Saturday.
Cease will try to harness an Astros lineup that led the AL with a .267 batting average, possessed the second highest OPS (.783) and struck out the second fewest times (1,222).
"I don't want to give too much way about anything, but you got to be aggressive and get count leverage," Cease said.
Jose Altuve (4-for-8, 1 home run), Michael Brantley (3-for-7, 1 double and 2 homers) and Yuri Gurriel (3-for-7) have given Cease the most trouble.
"I'm not going to go in there and get a swing and miss every pitch," Cease said after a long pause. "I'm going to pitch around contact, if that makes sense."
A victorious performance by Cease would fuel some much welcomed optimism to the Sox if Rodon is healthy enough to start Game 4. Rodon was 1-0 while allowing only 4 hits and striking out 18 in 14 innings against the Astros this season.
While the White Sox encounter their first case of extreme urgency, Astros Game 3 rookie starter Luis Garcia flashed the peace sign before and after talking to the media Saturday.
"I'm confident I can do the job," said Garcia, who was 11-8 with a 3.30 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 155⅓ innings during the regular season.
Garcia started Game 5 of the 2020 AL Championship Series and threw two scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Garcia threw seven innings of 1-run ball against the White Sox in a 2-1 victory at Minute Maid Park on June 18, and manager Dusty Baker believes young pitchers might have an advantage over a young lineup.
"It's easier, as long as you're calm, as long as you're not appalled by the situation or caught up by the situation, I think it's easier to throw the ball where you want to than it is to hit a ball," Baker said.
Baker witnessed former Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Fernando Valenzuela, Bob Welch, Rick Rhoden and Orel Hershiser perform well at a young age.
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