BOSTON — Dylan Cease had his best start since Opening Day on Saturday and matched his longest outing of the season. Luis Robert Jr. hit his shortest major-league homer ever.
Lowering his ERA to 4.66 with seven scoreless innings against the Red Sox, Cease struck out 11 batters and issued no walks in a 1-0 victory for the White Sox. He gave up seven hits, exiting with no score in a pitching duel with Nick Pivetta played in steady drizzle and rain.
“Dylan was masterful today,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “I think he had the best stuff of the year.”
Robert’s 311-foot home run in the ninth landed at the base of the Pesky Pole in right field and supplied the game’s only run.
With his fourth strikeout, Cease joined Chris Sale (2013-16) and Ed Walsh (1910-12) as the only Sox to notch three consecutive seasons of 200 strikeouts. Cease had 23 swings and misses.
Cease has one more start before closing the book on an uneven 2023.
“I’ve been putting in the work,” said Cease, who never found the consistency that marked his 2022 Cy Young runner-up performance. ‘‘Just not necessarily getting results I wanted. Hopefully we do it again and go into the offseason strong and come and do it a bunch next year.”
It was the first time since July 7 against the Cardinals that Cease allowed no walks.
“Huge,” Cease said. “I had command of three pitches. It was coming out hot, and [catcher] Korey [Lee] called a great game.”
On Opening Day against the Astros, Cease struck out 10 and allowed one run, two hits and no walks in six innings.
Aaron Bummer pitched out of his own jam in the eighth, and Bryan Shaw pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.
Robert’s shorty does the trick
Robert’s liner into the first row inside the right-field foul pole traveled 311 feet, tied for the shortest homer in the majors this season. It was Robert’s 38th homer and 75th extra-base hit, and it came with two outs against Red Sox righty Josh Winckowski.
“I knew it would stay fair,” Robert said through translator Billy Russo. “But I wasn’t sure if it was far enough to go over the fence.”
The last Sox to hit a game-winning homer in the ninth inning or later to break a scoreless tie was Daniel Palka in the ninth against Cleveland on Aug. 10, 2018.
Santos’ wrap-up
Gregory Santos, who is finishing the season on the injured list with elbow inflammation, said he has dealt with “tightness” for about a month.
“It really never felt like pain or soreness,” Santos said through Russo. “I thought I could pitch through it.”
Santos (3.39 ERA) had his best season with five saves and 66 strikeouts in 66„ innings. The Sox are projecting him as an important component of their bullpen in 2024.
“I had an excellent season, I think,” he said. “The team gave me the chance, and I took advantage of it.”
Monday game rescheduled for Thursday
Rain along the East Coast prompted Major League Baseball to move Monday’s game between the Sox and Diamondbacks at Guaranteed Rate Field to 1:10 p.m. Thursday. The Sox are offering $1 tickets and free parking for the rescheduled game.
The change was made to accommodate scheduling in the final week of the season. The Diamondbacks are in the thick of the National League wild-card race, and their rained-out game against the Yankees on Saturday was rescheduled for Monday.
