Dylan Cease pitched the second no-hitter in the majors this season and the San Diego Padres beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 on Thursday afternoon to complete the three-game sweep.
Cease, 28, struck out nine batters and walked three while throwing a season-high 114 pitches.
He retired Ildemaro Vargas on the grounder to second base to start the ninth inning. He then induced Jacob Young to ground out and CJ Abrams to line out to right field.
Cease (10-8) became the second pitcher in Padres franchise history to toss a no-hitter. Joe Musgrove accomplished the feat against the Texas Rangers on April 9, 2021.
Houston Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco tossed a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1 this season.
Thursday’s game was delayed 76 minutes by rain during the top of the first inning.
Leading off the bottom of the fifth inning, Juan Yepez hit a blooper to short center that bounced out of the glove of second baseman Xander Bogaerts but was caught in the air by center fielder Jackson Merrill.
“I feel like in every no-hitter there are a couple of plays that kinda save it,” Cease told MLB Network. “I think there were a couple right there. Made it happen.”
Ha-Seong Kim had a three-run single in the first inning for San Diego, which has won five straight overall and all six meetings this season with Washington.
The Nationals scored three runs in the series, all them coming in the first inning of a 12-3 setback on Wednesday.
Washington’s Patrick Corbin (2-10) took the loss after yielding three runs on four hits over seven innings. He struck out seven and walked three.
The Padres seized a 3-0 lead during a rain-interrupted first inning. With one out, Donovan Solano singled and Bogaerts walked. After Manny Machado lined out, Jake Cronenworth walked to load the bases. With a 1-0 count to Kim, the game was delayed by rain and Corbin appeared to have words with an umpire as he left the field.
When play resumed. Kim sent a blooper to left-center field. The ball deflected off the glove of a diving James Wood, and all three runners came home on the base hit.
Lane Thomas walked with one out in the Washington first but was caught stealing. Thomas walked again in the fourth and Jesse Winker followed by grounding into a double play.
Abrams walked leading off the seventh and moved to second when Thomas grounded out. Winker then flied to left and Yepez grounded out. Bogaerts ranged to his left to field a Keibert Ruiz grounder in the eighth and bobbled it before throwing Ruiz out.
–Field Level Media