Fiona Nanna, ForeMedia News

5 minutes read. Updated 12:00PM GMT Fri, 26July, 2024

Dylan Cease threw the second no-hitter in San Diego Padres history, leading his team to a 3-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday, July 25, 2024. This historic performance not only secured a series sweep for the Padres but also marked a significant milestone in Cease’s career.

As Cease approached the seventh inning, Padres manager Mike Shildt faced a crucial decision. With Cease at 94 pitches, Shildt consulted with Joe Musgrove, who had previously thrown the Padres’ first no-hitter on April 9, 2021. Musgrove’s endorsement of Cease’s performance led Shildt to let the 28-year-old right-hander continue. Cease, showing remarkable endurance, required only nine pitches in the eighth inning and 11 in the ninth to complete the no-hitter.

Cease’s achievement came close two years prior when he fell just one out short against the Minnesota Twins. On that occasion, Luis Arráez, now his teammate, had broken up his no-hit bid. This time, Cease retired the final three Nationals hitters with precision, including a decisive flyout by CJ Abrams on a 1-0 slider. “I was hoping the slider would get down,” Cease reflected. “It looked like a solid hit, but fate was on my side today.”

The right-hander, who struck out nine and walked three in his third career complete game, threw a career-high 114 pitches, overcoming a 1-hour, 16-minute rain delay in the first inning. Cease’s pitch count and resilience were carefully managed by Shildt, who was keen to balance the pitcher’s well-being with the potential for a historic achievement. “I just love the conviction,” Shildt commented. “It’s important to listen to your athletes, and Cease made a strong case for staying in the game.”

The closest Washington came to a hit was in the fifth inning when Juan Yepez’s fly ball appeared headed for shallow center. However, Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill made a crucial catch, and second baseman Xander Bogaerts prevented any further danger with a quick recovery after a diving stop in the eighth inning.

Throughout the game, Cease utilized his arsenal effectively, throwing 60 sliders, 39 fastballs averaging 98.3 mph, and 10 knuckle-curves. His exceptional control resulted in 12 groundouts and 18 swings-and-misses, including six strikeouts. Cease’s previous complete games were also shutouts, including a seven-inning three-hitter against Detroit in April 2021.

In the game’s early stages, the Padres loaded the bases against Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin, leading to a three-run single by Ha-Seong Kim after the rain delay. This early scoring provided ample support for Cease’s historic performance.

With this victory, the San Diego Padres extended their winning streak to five games and achieved their third series sweep of the season, having previously swept Oakland and Washington at home. The Nationals, on the other hand, were swept for the sixth time this season and failed to secure a win against the Padres, who have now gone undefeated against the Nationals/Montreal Expos franchise since 1969.

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Padres: Begin a series at Baltimore on Friday, July 26, with RHP Grayson Rodriguez (12-4, 3.83 ERA) on the mound.
  • Nationals: LHP MacKenzie Gore (6-8, 4.20 ERA) will start in the opener of a three-game series at St. Louis.

For further updates on Major League Baseball, visit MLB Official Site and follow the Padres’ journey as they aim to build on their recent success.