White Sox’ Dylan Cease impressive in four-inning start vs. Brewers

SOX 5, BREWERS 1

Cease in command

Having his best fastball command of the spring would have been one thing, but Dylan Cease said his outing Wednesday against the Brewers featured his best fastball command ever.

Cease allowed one run in four innings in his second Cactus League outing. His five strikeouts certainly suggested that his fastball command was solid. But best ever?

“I’m not lacking confidence by any means,” said Cease, who was 4-7 in his rookie season a year ago, with a 5.79 ERA in 14 starts. “I’m not going out there super-cocky thinking it’s going to be easy, but I’m happy with where I’m at.”

The lone run off Cease came on a towering home run to center field by Keston Hiura in the fourth inning.

“Hanging curveball,” Cease said when asked what pitch Hiura hit. “I think it was hanging, based on the way he hit it anyway. I don’t know for sure.”

Nothing doing

Five relievers held the Brewers scoreless over the last five innings: Codi Heuer, Jacob Lindgren, Caleb Frare, Kodi Medeiros and Vince Arobio. Lindgren (2-0) picked up the victory with a perfect sixth inning.

Hit men

Andrew Vaughn and Luis Gonzalez continued their solid springs by helping the Sox take charge in a three-run seventh inning. Vaughn had an RBI single to snap a 1-1 tie, and Gonzalez added a two-run double for a 4-1 advantage.

Vaughn has hit safely in his last five games and is batting .429. The 2019 No. 3 overall pick has four RBI. Gonzalez went 1-for-2 and is batting .429 in Arizona. The 2017 third-round pick has seen action in nine games.

On deck

Rockies at Sox, Glendale, 2:05 p.m. Thursday, whitesox.com, Peter Lambert vs. Drew Anderson.Zack Burdi, Alex Colome, Ross Detwiler and Jose Ruiz are among the scheduled relievers to take the mound.