Sox loss aside, Cease has 'top outing' against Cubs

Statistics can be deceiving, in baseball more than any other sport.

The box-score says Dylan Cease took the loss Sunday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, but the White Sox starter did more than enough to emerge with a win.

"Today was one of his better outings," manager Rick Renteria said of Cease. "Today was one of the top outings he's had for us in the last couple years."

Coming in with a 4-0 record and 1.93 ERA over his last four starts, Cease attacked the Cubs with a 97-98 mph fastball and a biting slider.

The 24-year-old righty showed his improving poise in the fifth inning, when the Cubs loaded the bases with no outs. Clinging to a 1-0 lead, Cease struck out Jason Kipnis and got Ian Happ to ground into a double play.

His only mistake came in the sixth, when Kyle Schwarber decided the outcome with a 2-run homer on a hanging slider.

"It just backed up on me," Cease said. "Realistically, I would have liked to have gotten it a little bit more down and in, but it kind of just popped up. It was probably more of a cement mixer than it was one of my better sliders. I have to tip my cap, (Schwarber) hit it well."

Cease pitched well, allowing the 2 runs on 4 hits in 6 innings. In his first start against his former organization, he had 3 walks and 5 strikeouts while throwing 103 pitches.

"It was pretty solid," Cease said. "Too many walks still, still room to execute better. But I feel like I'm steadily improving every start."