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.

Shohei Ohtani showed off his two-way ability on Sunday. The Los Angeles Angels designated Ohtani as their designated hitter for Sunday’s game against the Chicago White Sox.

Ohtani got off to a strong first inning. The starting pitcher faced Tim Anderson, Adam Eaton, Jose Abreu, and Yoan Moncada. The pitcher forced Anderson out with a ground out, struck out Eaton and walked Abreu. The pitcher ended the half-inning with another ground out of Moncada.

In that inning, Ohtani threw three pitches that went above 100 mph, and his first pitch of the game was 98 mph. The highest pitch he threw was above 101 mph and a 100.6-mph fastball to Eaton.

While his pitching went fantastic, Ohtani did not end it there. The pitcher was also the designated hitter for the game, so he came to bat and was second in the batting order. The pitcher came up to the batter box to face White Sox’s starting pitcher Dylan Cease.

Cease only threw one pitch to Ohtani because he crushed the ball for a 450 feet home run.

Ohtani now owns the hardest pitch thrown so far and the hardest-hit home run with 115.2 mph. The accomplishment did not end there. Ohtani became the first starting pitcher to hit a home run within the first seven spots of the batting order. The last time that happened was by Babe Ruth in 1933.

Unfortunately, Ohtani was pulled from the game after an ankle injury in the fifth inning. The starting pitcher finished the game with two hits, one earned run allowed, and seven strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. As a batter, he finished one for three and an RBI.

After the game, Ohtani was happy with his performance in the game. “I’m glad I got this game under my belt,” Ohtani told reporters, “It will lead to more confidence.”

“There’s a huge difference with the fans, it helps me concentrate at the plate and on the mound. Ohtani said, “I feel like I get that extra push and extra gear.”

The Angels beat the White Sox 7-4.