Dylan Cease sharp in first start of season, White Sox defeat Tigers for first win

DETROIT — Five innings from a starter never looked so good.

That’s what Dylan Cease gave the White Sox in their second game of the season Saturday, hours after it was learned that Opening Day starter Lucas Giolito will be shelved for a couple of starts or more and on the day before right-hander Michael Kopech wasn’t expected to go very deep into the game Sunday.

With Kendall Graveman and Liam Hendriks needing a day of rest after getting up twice in a one-run loss Friday, the Sox needed length from their starter and quality relief from Bennett Sousa and Jose Ruiz, and Cease delivered his share by pitching into the sixth inning in a 5-2 Sox victory. The guy who some thought would be the Sox’ top starter in 2022 — even before Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito got hurt — Cease struck out eight, walked three and gave up a run on two hits, throwing 79 pitches.

Aaron Bummer pitched the ninth to close out the Sox’ first victory of the season after a tough loss on Opening Day.

Eloy Jimenez drove in Luis Robert and Jose Abreu with a single against Casey Mize in the first, Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run homer that ended Mize’s day in the sixth.

Josh Harrison tripled and doubled and scored on Andrew Vaughn’s single in the seventh that gave the Sox a 5-2 lead. Vaughn was in the game for AJ Pollock, who left in the third inning with a tight hamstring.

The Sox infield turned three double plays. The Sox got a key first out of the sixth when Javy Baez tried to score on a Reynaldo Lopez pitch that got away from Grandal. Lopez broke late to the plate and tagged out a head-first sliding Baez.

Jeimer Candelario then doubled in the Tigers’ second run, cutting the Sox lead to 4-2.

Left-hander Aaron Bummer, after giving up two singles to open the ninth, struck out Jonathan Schoop, Spencer Torkelson and Dustin Garneau to end it.

This and that

Tim Anderson returns to the lineup Sunday after serving a two-game suspension for bumping an umpire late last season.

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