A couple of weeks ago, it looked as if the AL Cy Young Award race was over from a betting perspective. Houston's Justin Verlander had a solid lead over the White Sox's Dylan Cease. However, Verlander hasn't pitched since Aug. 28 and may not anytime soon, and Cease is coming off a near-no-hitter. Cease is on the mound tonight against a bad Oakland team'and with another dominant effort could pass Verlander as the betting favorite at Caesars Sportsbook. Verlander is currently at -140 and Cease +100.
On Wednesday, Verlander threw off the front of the mound in Houston as he continues his rehab from a right calf injury suffered Aug. 28 – the first time he threw off a mound, although he technically wasn't “on” it.
The two-time Cy Young winner suffered a fascial disruption but no muscle fiber disruption in his right calf while running to cover first base during that Aug. 28 start against the Orioles. Verlander is eligible to come off the 15-day injured list Sept. 14 when the team is in Detroit, but that's not going to happen. The team is hopeful he can make a couple of starts before the playoffs. The 39-year-old is second in the majors with 16 wins and leads with a 1.84 ERA and 0.86 WHIP.
Cease (13-6, 2.13 ERA) is tied for the MLB lead with an opponents' batting average of just .185, is second in ERA and fifth in strikeouts (197). Last Saturday against the Twins, he came within one out of his first no-hitter, but Luis Arraez hit a single on a 1-1 pitch. Cease had to settle for the complete-game one-hitter. He was the second pitcher in White Sox history to lose a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth, joining Ken Brett who did so on May 26, 1976 vs. the Angels.