MLB Aces Of The Day For Tuesday, Aug. 23
Expect these guys to dominate opposing offenses
Matthew Horner - Aug 23, 2022, 11:40am EDTJustin Verlander (1.95 ERA), Astros vs. Twins
The Twins just recently got shutout 7-0 at home by the Texas Rangers who were starting Kohei Arihara in his second start of the year. This team is sinking fast and furious, with painfully average play at best over the last few weeks and a few blowout losses. The offense has just not been there, and the starting pitching is beginning to regress from the hot start they got out to this season. This has left the door open for the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox to jump ahead in the AL Central Division, although neither one of those teams seems too want to. Now Minnesota gets the pleasure of facing the best pitcher in baseball this season.
Justin Verlander once again graces the top of this list, and any day that he starts, he probably will. In his last outing, he allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out four in seven innings in a no-decision versus the White Sox. While it was a pedestrian outing by Verlander's standards, it was also his ninth straight quality start. The ace has a 1.95 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 138:24 K-to-BB through 143 innings across 22 starts this year. He leads MLB in ERA and is tied for 1st with a 15-3 record.
Dylan Cease (2.09 ERA), White Sox vs. Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are quite possibly the greatest story in sports this summer, as not a person on this planet could have guessed they would be this successful in 2022. Baltimore is actually on the heels of a playoff berth after being the worst team in MLB in 2021. That type of quick turnaround is remarkable, and they can credit that to finally getting some competitive starting pitchers that actually have ERA's in the 2.00 to 3.00 range. No more washed up veterans like Matt Harvey or Alex Cobb, as instead, they have been replaced by promising young guns like Dean Kremer. Could it possibly be that the organization has finally realized that old guys shouldn't be used as everyday starters but rather supporting pieces to a young squad? Who knows, but for now, O's fans can finally cheer for something. Maybe not on Tuesday, however.
Dylan Cease takes the hill for the White Sox, and he has been awesome. He didn't get to make his last scheduled start due to unplayable field conditions in Cleveland. Because he had warmed up prior to the game being cancelled, Cease didn't start last Monday in Kansas City and will instead make this start Tuesday. The guy has been electric with a 2.09 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, and even though his team has been a massive disappointment, he has been one of the biggest bright spots on the team.
Tony Gonsolin (2.12 ERA), Dodgers vs. Brewers
The Brewers have a frustrating offense that is so unpredictable on any given night, it is hard to predict exactly what they will do on Tuesday. Their offense really isn't all that impressive by the numbers, with Christian Yelich being their best hitter with barely a .250 average. Yet they have continued to win games this season, and are slotted five games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. They need every win they can get in order to catch up with so few games remaining, but they will have a hard go of that on Tuesday against a top-5 pitcher in baseball this season.
Tony Gonsolin will be on the bump for Los Angeles against them, again. In his last start, he earned the win over Milwaukee, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out eight batters over seven scoreless innings. Gonsolin held the Brewers without a hit until the fifth inning, and he didn't allow any baserunners to reach second base over his seven innings of work. He tied a season high with eight strikeouts and picked up his fourth straight victory in the outing. Gonsolin is nearing his high mark in MLB with 123.1 innings on the year, but he's showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, he's been totally dominant over his past three starts, allowing just one run over 18.2 innings. He is tied for the MLB lead with 15 wins, has held opponents to a league-low .169 batting average and ranks second in the National League with a 2.12 ERA.