Dylan Cease Achieves Historic No-Hitter in Padres Victory Over Nationals

In a commanding performance, Chicago White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease led his team to a 3-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday, completing a three-game sweep. Cease, who threw 94 pitches through seven innings, showcased his dominance by needing only nine pitches in the eighth and 11 in the ninth. The 28-year-old right-hander struck out nine batters and walked three, marking his third complete game in 145 major league starts. Cease's strategy was clear as he aimed to keep the Nationals off balance with his slider. "My thought was I’m going to throw a slider and I’m going to get it down," he explained, emphasizing his focus on inducing ground balls or making it difficult for batters to make solid contact. This performance comes on the heels of a near no-hitter last season, where he fell just one out short against the Minnesota Twins. The Padres, who have recently swept both Oakland and Washington, continued their strong play against the Nationals, who have now been swept six times this season. Washington finished the season 0-6 against San Diego, highlighting their struggles against the team. In a pivotal moment during the game, shortstop Xander Bogaerts made a crucial play, recovering from a bobble to throw out Keibert Ruiz at first base. The game concluded with a strong offensive push from the Padres, as Ha-Seong Kim's single brought in three runs, sealing the victory.