San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease threw the second no-hitter in franchise history in Thursday’s win against the Washington Nationals. Coming into the series finale, Cease had given up just one hit in each of his previous two starts. He threw 114 pitches with nine strikeouts for the Padres’ fifth consecutive win.
The 28-year-old right-hander was acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox before Opening Day. Going into Thursday, he carried a 3.76 ERA with 159 strikeouts in 21 starts for San Diego. Cease one-hit Washington over seven innings on June 26th. This time, he nearly lost this no-hit bid to a bloop fifth-inning pop-up. Instead, rookie center fielder Jackson Merrill caught the ricocheted ball before it hit the ground, saving Cease’s historic game.
114 pitches, first career no-hitter, the second in @Padres history.
Dylan Cease finished the job. 💪 pic.twitter.com/QlARVA8gfb
— MLB (@MLB) July 25, 2024
Dylan Cease Throws Just The Second No-Hitter in Padres History
This was the first career no-hitter and second career complete game for the former Cy Young Award runner-up. His first attempt for a no-no was spoiled by his now-teammate Luis Arráez with a ninth-inning two-out single in 2022. Coming full circle, Arráez was the one who gave Cease the ball from the final out of his first no-hitter. He joins right-hander Joe Musgrove as the only Padres to throw a no-hitter in franchise history.
Houston Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco threw the only other no-hitter this season at home against the Toronto Blue Jays in early April. Cease and the Padres are the third team to take a no-hitter into the ninth inning this season. On May 11th, the Atlanta Braves took a combined no-hitter against the New York Mets into the ninth, before a two-run blast from J.D. Martinez broke it up.
“I think it’ll set in even more as time goes,” Cease said of his first career no-hitter. “But I’ve been close, and to finally get it done, it’s one of those things that’s just — it feels so remarkable and hard to believe. To be able to do it and go out and experience it, I really don’t even know how to feel, I’m just happy.”
Photo Credit: © Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
