Friday Reunion: Abreu Throws First Pitch As White Sox Beat Padres in Cease’s Return

Friday night served as a reunion of sorts with Jose Abreu throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, and Dylan Cease taking the mound at Rate Field against his former team for the first time since being traded to the Padres. 

Abreu told reporters before the game that his heart “always will be with the White Sox” adding that “this is my place, this is my home.” The 2020 MVP’s former teammate, Luis Robert Jr., was also seen taping part of Abreu’s pregame media session on his phone with a large smile on his face. 

The White Sox greeted Abreu much more kindly than they greeted Cease, handing him his eighth loss of the season after tagging him for four runs through six innings. Cease’s outing captured his five-year tenure in Chicago — flashes of brilliance, tempered by inconsistency.

Miguel Vargas got the scoring started in the first, sending a Cease slider 371 feet into left field for a two-run homer. The homer marked Vargas’ 15th of the season, first since August 1, and pushed his RBI total to 55.

In the fourth, Curtis Mead added an RBI single, followed by Will Robertson’s RBI single to give the White Sox a 4-2 lead.

Cease finished the day with six strikeouts, but allowed seven baserunners, three of which came via a walk. 

That has been the story of Cease's 2025 campaign. The 29-year-old was added to the roster to help provide stability to the Padres' pitching staff. While he has racked up 207 strikeouts this season, he owns a 4.64 ERA and has allowed 19 earned runs in his last seven games.

The four runs he allowed Friday night would be just enough for the White Sox to hang onto a 4-3 victory after Davis Martin tossed six innings of three-run ball and Grant Taylor locked down his fifth save of the season.

Former White Sox first baseman and outfielder Gavin Sheets also appeared in the Padres’ lineup. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and an RBI groundout in the sixth inning.

The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the White Sox and raised their season win total to 58. To avoid 100 losses for the third consecutive year, the South Siders will need to go 5-3 in their final eight games. The last time Chicago avoided triple-digit losses was while Abreu, Cease, and Sheets were still in a White Sox uniform.