On Thursday, in the San Diego Padres final game against the Washington Nationals, Dylan Cease threw the second no-hitter in Padres history.
The game, set to begin in the early morning at Nationals Park, was delayed 76 minutes due to rain. However, everything else went according to plan, Cease took the mound, struck out nine, walked three, and allowed zero hits. In total Cease threw a career-high 114 pitches. Right Fielder Bryce Johnson made the final catch on a fly ball from former Padres prospect CJ Abrams, officially solidifying Cease into the MLB history books.
A Long Time Coming
The previous and first-ever Padres no-hitter occurred in a 2021 game against the Texas Rangers. Joe Musgrove pitched nine near-perfect innings with 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 victory at Globe Life Field. Musgrove remains a valuable Padre and showed that by helping Cease complete his no-hitter. Between innings Thursday, Musgrove and fellow pitcher Michael King assisted Cease with pitch sequencing.
Cease already has an impressive track record. In his last 3 starts for the Padres, he’s struck out 30 men in 22 innings and given up 2 hits. Two years ago, Cease flirted with a no-hitter while he played for the Chicago White Sox. He unfortunately lost it to then Minnesota Twin, now teammate Luis Arrez in the final at-bat. In a post-game interview, Cease joked that it reminded him to throw his slider “a little bit lower.”
Cease No-Hitter May Not Have Happened
It’s interesting to think that this event may not have happened if it hadn’t been for Cease advocating for himself. Toward the end of the game, as Cease approached the 100-pitch count, it looked like the coaching staff would relieve him. Cease had to lobby for his shot at the coveted no-hitter, a potential investment that would have instant returns.
“It was a magnificent performance,” manager Mike Shildt said. It’s safe to say that San Diego feels the same way and will celebrate this moment for the rest of the season.
We updated this article to reflect CJ Abrams making the final out rather than James Wood.
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