Washington (AFP) – Dylan Cease tossed the second no-hitter in San Diego Padres history on Thursday, carrying his team to a 3-0 Major League Baseball victory at Washington.
The 28-year-old American right-hander improved to 10-8 with nine strikeouts and three walks over nine no-hit innings, throwing a career-high 114 pitches.
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“Unbelievable. It’s crazy,” Cease said. “That was pretty special.”
He became the first Padres pitcher to hurl a no-hitter since Joe Musgrove in April 2021 at Texas, when San Diego ended its 53-season wait for the team’s first no-hitter.
“It was a magnificent performance,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said, who watched on as Cease waited through a 76-minute rain delay in the first inning before baffling Nationals batters.
Cease came within an out of a no-hitter two years ago when he played for the Chicago White Sox but it was broken up by a player who is now among his Padres teammates, Luis Arraez.
Cease had two outs in the top of the ninth before Minnesota’s Arraez singled to right field to doom the no-hit bid on the brink of success.
On Thursday, Washington’s C.J. Abrams flew out to right field to end the game, even though he gave Cease a moment’s scare.
“I had a flashback right there and made sure I got the slider a little bit lower,” Cease said. “Off the bat it looked like a bloop hit but it stayed up and I was screaming and yelling. It felt awesome.”
Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla had joked with Cease about his near-miss no-hit effort and was among those who convinced Shildt to leave Cease in the game over the last two innings.
“Rube joked with me after the last one and asked when are we going to get a real one so it’s pretty nice,” Cease said. “I had thrown 94 pitches and just said I feel great and if we get through the next one in 105, I’ve thrown 113 this year. Thankfully, they let me talk him into it and here we are.”
He’s the first pitcher since at least 1901 with 30 or more strikeouts and two or fewer hits allowed over a three-game span.
Cease became only the sixth pitcher since 1961 to lose a no-hit attempt with two outs in the ninth inning then later complete a no-hitter, joining a list that includes Tom Seaver, Roy Halladay and Dave Stieb.
© 2024 AFP
