Dylan Cease Throws No-Hitter For San Diego Padres

When the San Diego Padres traded for starter Dylan Cease this off-season, they were hoping for some stability and quality at the top of their rotation.

After Thursday's start, they can certainly say they've gotten what they asked for. 

Cease threw just the second no-hitter in Padres history on Thursday afternoon, shutting out the Washington Nationals with just three walks. He was frequently dominant, with nine strikeouts and loads of weak contact. And as is commonly the case with no-hitters, he benefited from some quality defense behind him.

In the bottom of the 5th inning, Juan Yepez popped a ball up to shallow center, where Xander Bogaerts bobbled it. It looked initially like it'd drop to the ground for a hit, but center fielder Jackson Merrill was in the right place at the right time and managed to corral it. About as unusual of a 4-8 putout as you'll ever see.

Ironically, the final out had the highest expected batting average of any ball put in play by the Nationals at .560. But right fielder Bryce Johnson was positioned perfectly, and the ball held up just long enough for him to secure the final out.

Jul 25, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) celebrates with teammates after the final out of a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres Celebrate Second Ever No-Hitter

Unsurprisingly, Padres announcers were pretty pumped after Cease completed the no-hitter.

It was the second in the history of the Padres organization after Joe Musgrove's start in 2021.

Cease's was impressive not just for his performance, but the fact that Padres manager Mike Shildt let him go well over 100 pitches. In an era where pitchers are routinely taken out at 80-90 pitches to preserve their arms, Cease reached 114. 

Importantly for the Padres, it secured their fifth consecutive victory in an extremely tight National League wild card race. The win moved the Padres to 55-50 and in solo control of the third wild card spot. A win at this point in the season is important, but this one, thanks to Dylan Cease's exceptional performance, was just a bit more special.