Padres Game 2 starter Dylan Cease eager to put disappointing season, past playoff stumbles behind him

Jeff Sanders, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Sep 30, 2025

Published in Baseball

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CHICAGO — The first postseason start of Dylan Cease’s career was in this city, for the White Sox in 2021. It was as forgettable as the two turns he took for the Padres last year in the National League Division Series — only that’s not how the 29-year-old right-hander approaches such things.

“It never really leaves; it’s part of your story and your history, I suppose,” Cease said. “ … But at the end of the day, I think when a new season starts, it’s kind of a new opportunity.”

Cease is hoping the slate feels just as clean this postseason, though he’s willing to take the momentum of his last month into Wednesday’s Game 2, win-or-go-home assignment against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Although he finished with the third-highest ERA (4.55) of his career, Cease posted a 3.12 ERA in five starts in September, turned in a quality start in one of the turns and allowed two runs or less in four of them.

His last start — against the Brewers, the team with the best record in the major leagues — may have been his best. The right-hander struck out eight while allowing a single run on six hits and two walks over five innings.

“I think I’ve just been putting in the work and trying to feel out some things,” Cease said. “Sometimes with pitching, obviously, it’s all about execution. But at the end of the day, it’s kind of a feel-oriented thing. I’ve been trying to find it and create it all year, and I feel like toward the end of the year, I’ve gotten in a good spot with that.”

Cease’s upward trend is one reason the Padres are giving him the ball for Game 2 over Michael King, who has not quite found his groove since returning from the injured list with shoulder nerve and knee troubles. Yu Darvish will start the Padres’ if-necessary Game 3.

Manager Mike Shildt said the Padres were “pretty straightforward” about their plan, which came together over the past week or so. The Padres announced their starters for the series on Monday, while the Cubs waited until after Tuesday’s win to announce that righty Andrew Kittredge will start Game 2.

Cease has a 2.50 ERA in three career starts at Wrigley Field.

“As we talked through it, we came to an internal decision that it was going to be Dylan, or that equation was to make sure Dylan is getting his work in and getting his sides and getting prepped physically and mentally for that day and leading up to it,” Shildt said.

“Once we decided that, we announced it, and here we ride.”

Cease’s pedigree is also part of the equation: He has struck out an MLB-best 1,106 batters since entering the White Sox’s rotation for good in 2021. This season marked his fifth straight with 200 or more Ks.

Cease made his postseason debut in 2020, working one scoreless inning out of the bullpen for the White Sox in the wild-card series against the A’s. The following season, Cease allowed three runs in the first 1 2/3 innings of Game 3 of the ALDS. The White Sox beat the Astros that night, but ultimately were eliminated in four games.

The Padres lost both of Cease’s postseason starts last year. He allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings at Dodger Stadium in Game 1 and then gave up three runs in 1 2/3 innings on short rest in Game 4. The Padres were ultimately bounced in five games.

On Wednesday, Cease returns to the mound for yet another high-stakes game.

“It’s always higher stakes,” Cease said before Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the Cubs. “It’s always more on the line, which is fun and exciting. … I want to have some better results than I have had, but yeah, I’m excited.”