Dylan Cease throws no-hitter: Five things to know after Padres righty shuts down Nationals (2024)

Cease's no-hitter is just the second in franchise history

San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease has made history. Cease threw the second no-hitter in Padres history Thursday afternoon against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park (SD 3, WAS 0). He struck out nine and threw a career-high 114 pitches in the masterpiece. It is Cease's first career no-hitter and his second career nine-inning complete game.

The final out of Cease's no-hitter was a line drive to right field by former Padre CJ Abrams. Abrams was traded to the Nationals in the big Juan Soto deal at the 2022 trade deadline.

Cease walked three batters in the no-hitter but faced only one over the minimum. One walk was erased on a double play, another on a caught stealing. Cease certainly had plenty left in the tank -- he hit 100 mph with his 110th pitch -- and at no point in the game did he have a high-stress inning. The Nationals never put much pressure on him.

Following the game, Padres manager Mike Shildt said he originally planned to remove Cease after the seventh inning, but the pitcher was able to talk him out of it. Cease had thrown 94 pitches up to that point. Padres closer Robert Suarez was warming up in the ninth just in case Cease gave up a hit and ran into some trouble. Obviously Suarez wasn't needed.

This marks the second no-hitter so far this season: Houston Astros righty Ronel Blanco blanked the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1. Cease and the Padres are the third team to take a no-hitter into the ninth inning in 2024. Blanco did it, of course, and Atlanta Braves had a combined no-hitter going against the New York Mets on May 11. J.D. Martinez broke that up with a two-out home run.

Cease's no-hitter is the second in Padres franchise history. San Diego native Joe Musgrove no-hit the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on April 9, 2021. The Padres joined the league as an expansion team in 1969.

Here now is what you need to know about Cease, the Padres, and the no-hitter.

1. The defense made a great play

Of course it did. Doesn't every no-hitter seem to have that one great defensive play? That was certainly true Thursday, when center fielder Jackson Merrill bailed out second baseman Xander Bogaerts following a bobble. Check it out:

Based on exit velocity and launch angle, Statcast says just one ball the Nationals put in play against Cease had even a 40% chance to go for a hit: Abram's lineout to end the game at 56%. The Juan Yepez pop up above had a mere 26% chance to go for a hit. It was a great recovery by Merrill more than a truly great defensive play, I'd say. Either way, it's an out.

2. Cease had come close to a no-hitter before

This was not the first time Cease took a no-hitter into the ninth inning. On Sept. 3, 2022, Cease was out away from a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins when (who else?) Luis Arraez lined a single to right field. Arraez is now Cease's teammate with the Padres, though he was not in the lineup Thursday, leaving him a spectator for the no-hitter.

3. San Diego now has multiple no-hitters

As noted, Cease's no-hitter is the second in Padres franchise history. That leaves three teams with just a single no-hitter:

The Padres went the first half-century of their existence without a no-hitter. Now they have two in the last four years.

4. Cease is on a roll

The Padres landed Cease in a spring-training trade with the Chicago White Sox and he has been one of the single best additions made by any team heading into the 2024 season. The no-hitter gives him a 3.50 ERA through 22 starts and 131 innings, and check out his last three starts. Cease has been out of this world lately:

According to MLB.com, Cease is the first pitcher to go at least six innings with no more than one hit allowed in three consecutive starts since 1901. Thursday was his sixth start of at least six innings with no more than one hit allowed this season. That is two more than any other pitcher in any season since 1901. Cease has been tremendous the last few weeks.

5. The Padres are climbing the standings

Thursday's win was San Diego's fifth straight and their 18th in their last 28 games. The Padres are now 55-50 and a half-game up on the St. Louis Cardinals for the third wild-card spot. Thanks in large part to Cease, the Padres have gotten their season on track, and they are beginning to make a move up the standings.