ANAHEIM -- As Dylan Cease’s journey as a Major League starter continues to unfold, some bumps in the road are inevitable. Unfortunately, his first eight starts have consisted of more rockiness than smooth traveling.

The rookie right-hander was tagged for five runs in five-plus innings at Angel Stadium on Sunday, striking out six but never really managing to settle in as the White Sox dropped the series finale to the Angels, 9-2. His ERA is now up to 5.93.

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“Because he was getting hit around just a bit, and maybe not commanding as well as he wanted to, [I saw] a little frustration in him,” manager Rick Renteria said. “But that’s because he wants to perform. All these guys want to perform.”

Cease, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 5 right-handed pitching prospect prior to the start of the 2019 season, once again had trouble with the home run ball. It’s an unwelcome development for Cease, who had allowed just 0.5 homers per nine innings (HR/9) in 15 starts for Triple-A Charlotte before his callup on July 3. With the White Sox, he has surrendered at least one in each of his starts, a total of 10 in 44 innings.

“He’s been leaving pitches out over the plate a little bit more consistently,” said Renteria. “And this is the big leagues. Most of these guys are going to be able to consistently get the barrel to the baseball. It doesn’t matter how hard you throw.”

On Sunday, Cease gave up two homers for the second consecutive start. The first was a three-run shot by Matt Thaiss in the second. Down in the count 2-1, Cease threw Thaiss a 96.5-mph fastball on the inner edge of the plate, and the Angels' first baseman was able to drive it over the right-field wall.

The next one came off the bat of Kole Calhoun to open the bottom of the fourth. It was also a fastball, this time in the lower-outside part of the zone, that Calhoun launched over the center-field wall.

“I thought one of the pitches was OK, and the other one was poor execution,” said Cease. “Sometimes, you make a [good] pitch and they hit it out. Sometimes, you make a bad pitch and they hit it out. If I execute pitches, I’m more than likely gonna have a good game and good results.”

Although Cease’s overall numbers are not yet where he’d like them to be, there are certainly positives to take from the early stages of his big league tenure. For instance, he has gone at least five innings in every start he’s made, showing an ability to grind through outings where he’s had to work through some early traffic.

“Really, I feel like I’ve got a whole other level I can take it to,” said Cease. “I’m wasting too many pitches. But for the most part, getting through the five is definitely big.”

Though it’s true that home run rates are up throughout the league, Cease can’t continue to give them up at the pace he has; his 2.05 HR/9 would rank third highest among qualified MLB starters. Finding a way to suppress the long ball will be paramount to his ability to find success as a Major League starter. Cease feels he has it in him and that he can get there by staying true to his stuff.

“Today, I felt pretty solid throughout the game,” said Cease. “It’s just one of those things where I’m gonna keep working at it and not get too result-oriented, just keep following the process.”