What does Dylan Cease do for an encore?
The San Diego Padres’ right-hander, fresh off the second no-hitter in franchise history, tries to concoct a suitable follow-up Wednesday when his team bids for a two-game sweep of the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cease (10-8, 3.50 ERA) faced just one batter over the minimum Thursday in a 3-0 blanking of the Washington Nationals, striking out nine and walking three. Cease joined Joe Musgrove (April 9, 2021) as the only pitchers in franchise history to toss a no-hitter.
It was Cease’s eighth start this year in which he’s allowed two hits or fewer while pitching at least six innings, which is believed to be a modern-day MLB record. And in his last three outings, Cease has permitted only two hits in 22 scoreless innings, fanning 30.
“To be able to do it — to go out there and experience it — I really don’t even know how to feel,” he said after the no-hitter. “I’m just happy.”
Cease and pitching coach Ruben Niebla trace the recent stretch of sublime pitching to a mechanical adjustment. Niebla had Cease bring his glove closer to his body to better disguise his pitches. Turns out it also made Cease’s release point more consistent.
And it’s unlocked velocity he hasn’t always shown this year. Cease hit 100 miles per hour in the ninth inning Thursday and his slider has been borderline unhittable in the last three starts.
“He’s found some velo within that adjustment,” Niebla said. “Really feel he’s taken the next step.”
Cease will face Los Angeles for the first time this year and is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA in two career starts. He has struck out 18 hitters in 10 innings.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers will run left-hander Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 4.50) to the mound for his second appearance of the year. Kershaw, who missed the first four months of the season after shoulder surgery, gave up two runs on four innings Thursday in the team’s 6-4 win over San Francisco.
Kershaw said it meant a lot to pitch his first game since last October, when he allowed six runs in the first inning of a National League Division Series loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“There’s a lot of people in here that spent a lot of time with me to help me get back,” Kershaw said after Thursday’s game. “It was really cool that a lot of people cared so much to help me.”
Kershaw will make his 47th career start against San Diego. He’s 23-10 against it with a 2.12 ERA, fanning 317 batters in 296 2/3 innings and permitting only 205 hits.
Los Angeles could use the old Kershaw on the mound. Its bullpen coughed up starter Tyler Glasnow’s potential win on Tuesday night. Blake Treinen gave up two homers in the ninth to force a 10th inning, and Alex Vesia quickly ceded the winning run in a 6-5 defeat that cut the team’s NL West lead on San Diego to 5 1/2 games.
Both teams made significant additions at the trading deadline Tuesday. The Dodgers acquired Detroit pitcher Jack Flaherty and Toronto outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, while the Padres picked up Miami closer Tanner Scott and Pittsburgh left-hander Martin Perez.
–Field Level Media