Gamethread: White Sox at Athletics

With all the warranted megahype about Eloy Jimenez brutalizing baseballs while wearing a baby-faced smile, it seems trade chip 1-A in the Jose Quintana deal, Dylan Cease, has gotten a little overlooked. (Cease as the White Sox’s No. 10 prospect, really, Baseball America?)

Well, the fireballer didn’t look like he was too far behind Michael Kopech when he made his spring debut five days ago, when Cease threw a killer 1 ¹⁄₃ IP to earn the win finishing a comeback over the Texas Rangers.

Today, he brings his heavy fastball and knee-buckling breaking stuff to the starter’s mound in Mesa.

Time: 2:05 p.m. CST

Webcast: none

TV: none

Radio: MLB.com (Oakland A’s broadcast)

As befits a pitcher acquired for Quintana, Cease had crazy hard luck in his end-of-season showcase with with the Kannapolis Intimidators (A): 0-8 in nine starts, with a 3.89 ERA, 52 strikeouts and 18 walks.

He’ll be pitching to Seby Zavala, his battery mate with the Intimidators, who’s also having a nice early camp.

Daniel Mengden gets the start for the A’s, and if he is still wearing his Rollie Fingers waxed mustachio as depicted in the game preview at MLB.com, I am now triply ticked this game isn’t being broadcast, because I’ve just found my new favorite A.

Mengden had a rough rookie year in 2016, but bounced back strong in 2017, going 3-2 with a 3.14 ERA in seven starts, including a two-hit shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies on September 15. His short stint at the hind end of 2017 earned him a tidy 1.6 WAR.

So far this spring, Mengden has pitched in two games (one start) and has clocked in with a 4.91 ERA. The righthander has never faced the White Sox, but the first hit of Yoan Moncada’s career was an RBI double off Mengden on Sept. 3, 2016. Moncada leads off today against Mengden.

And here’s the pitching deets on today’s B-game in Los Angeles Dodgers territory at Camelback Ranch, and the slate of coming starters.