Dylan Cease threw the second no-hitter in San Diego Padres history Thursday afternoon, blanking the Washington Nationals 3-0 in a masterful 114-pitch performance.

Cease, who came within one out of a no-hitter two years ago, said that he was frightened when Nationals star C.J. Abrams hit a hard line drive with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The ball was instead caught by right fielder Bryce Johnson, ending the complete-game gem on a triumphant note.

“Think I had a little flashback right there: Make sure I get the slider a little bit lower,” Cease said. “Man off the bat right there, it looked kind of like a bloop hit. I saw it stay up. Just screaming and yelling. That was awesome.”

In nine innings, Cease struck out nine batters and walked three for the franchise’s second no-hitter. Cease’s teammate, Joe Musgrove, earned the first in 2021. After nine hitless innings, his ERA fell to 3.76 and he improved to 9-8 on the season.

The Padres have had an erratic year thus far, struggling through injuries and several dry patches, but they remain a playoff contender with a 55-50 record. Moments like these are sure to keep the team going as the season progresses.

Meanwhile, without diminishing Cease’s historic accomplishment, the 47-56 Nationals have struggled for most of the year and are slowly descending through the ranks of the National League. Though the team has a few exciting players, namely Abrams and debuting rookie James Wood, Washington has been overmatched by pitchers like Cease more often than not in 2024.

Occasionally, iron-man no-hitter performances can wear out pitchers later in the season, and Cease’s career-high 114-pitch performance could have a similar effect. If he continues to impress, however, the 28-year-old right-hander’s outside case as an N.L. Cy Young candidate could gain far more traction.