Padres' Dylan Cease Fires Second No-Hitter in Team History

J.P. Hoornstra | Jul 25, 2024

Jul 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease threw the second no-hitter of 2024, and the second no-hitter in Padres history, on Thursday against the Washington Nationals.

Cease completed the game, which was delayed by weather in the first inning. The Padres' 3-0 victory marked the first no-hitter of Cease's six-year career.

The first and only no-hitter in Major League Baseball this season prior to Thursday came in April, when Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros threw a complete game effort against the Toronto Blue Jays. Joe Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in franchise history on April 9, 2021. Cease's is the second.

Cease told Padres TV after the game that he began thinking bout the no-hitter after the sixth inning.

"My pitch count was high," he said. "I tried not to think about it too much."

Cease threw 114 pitches, walked three batters and struck out nine. He threw nine pitches in the ninth inning to complete the historic achievement. His previous season-high was 113 in a May victory over the Chicago Cubs.

There was some discussion between Cease and the Padres' coaching staff prior to the eighth inning over whether he should go back out to complete the effort.

"Thankfully they let me talk them into it and here we are," Cease told the Padres' broadcast team in his postgame interview from Nationals Park.

Padres manager Mike Shildt told reporters after the game that he considered the implications on Cease's workload for the remainder of the season, but said "to me, he was convicted — 'I'm going back out.' ... I just love the conviction."

"It was a privilege to be a part of this," Shildt added.

Nationals starting pitcher Patrick Corbin found himself in an early disadvantage. Nine minutes after the top of the first inning began, rain began to fall and the game went into a weather delay. The Padres scored all three of their runs in the top of the first after a 76-minute delay.

Cease experienced no such delay. He improved to 10-8 and lowered his ERA for the season to 3.50.

The Padres acquired Cease from the Chicago White Sox in March for Steven Wilson, Drew Thorpe, Samuel Zavala and Jairo Iriarte.