Dylan Cease has had some ups and downs this season. On Saturday, though, the star pitcher reminded us why the San Diego Padres did everything to acquire him in the offseason. In a stunning performance, Cease struck out 11 Atlanta Braves hitters in six shutout innings, getting the win in the process. It was a vintage performance from the former Cy Young candidate.
After the game, Cease talked about this performance. The Padres star talked about how it felt good to perform in the fashion. Cease also said that this game felt like the culmination of a months-long effort to get back to the form that he knows he's capable of maintaining.
“The last two months it feels like I've been trying everything to get to where I was today.”
Cease further elaborated on this in his post-game presser. After struggling mightily in his starts, it was great to see the Padres pitcher dominate in a familiar fashion.
“I think I just finally got some things to sync up,” he said. “I feel like we’ve worked on it for the last two months, and the results are kind of limited. … You kind of just have to battle until you can kind of get it to click. So tonight is definitely more of what I’m looking for.”
Prior to the Braves start, Cease wasn't looking good. In his last 11 starts, the Padres pitcher had a truly terrible 5.88 ERA. In fact, Cease got lit up by this same Braves team earlier in the season. Seeing him perform at this level seems to prove that he will be able to return to form by the second half of the season.
Padres' challenging season
This season in general has been quite the interesting one for the Padres. With the Los Angeles Dodgers being that dominant, San Diego and the Arizona Diamondbacks are left fighting for the Wild Card race. That has been a mixed bag for the team so far. As of the time of writing, they are just a game away from the last spot. There's been some highs, but they have not been enough to offset the lows they've had.
The Padres have some stiff competition to face in their race for the Wild Card spot. There's of course the Diamondbacks, the runner-ups last season. The New York Mets have recovered from an early-season spot to claim the final Wild Card position for now. Below them, upstart teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds are lurking, ready to pounce on a slip-up from any team above them.
San Diego, in theory, should be well-equipped for a second half push after the All-Star break. Xander Bogaerts has returned from his injury. Luiz Arraez continues to be the greatest contact hitter today and is excellent at driving in runs. Manny Machado is, well, Manny Machado. The Padres are continuing to chug along even with Fernando Tatis Jr being out due to injury.
The Padres are hoping to use this break to figure out their goals for the rest of the season. Can they turn this late first half success into a sustainable model in the second half?
Follow Us
Subscribe