By Zachary McMahon-
The Washington Nationals hosted the San Diego Padres in the series finale of a three-game series. The Nats were trying to avoid the sweep after losing the first two games, which included a 12-3 blowout on Wednesday.
The Padres started off with a single by Donovan Solano, and two walks to Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado, and all of them came home on a bases-clearing single by Ha-Seong Kim after a delay of 1 hour and 16 minutes, as the Padres got out to an early 3-0 lead.
Patrick Corbin pitched the rest of his appearance until the eighth inning without letting in runs, as he allowed a total of four hits and three walks, while striking out seven. Derek Law and Jose Ferrer could not strike anybody out as they pitched the final two innings for the Nats. Corbin matched his season-high of seven innings, while he’s gone at least six innings in four out of his last six starts. Law has not allowed a run in nine out of his last 12 appearances.
Dylan Cease pitched the second no-hitter in Padres history as he went nine innings without allowing a hit, and only allowed three walks while striking out nine. The other was Joe Musgrove pitching one on April 9, 2021, and it’s the second no-hitter in the majors this season as Ronel Blanco pitched a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1. Cease was one out short of a no-hitter for the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 3, 2022 as he allowed a single to current Padres teammate Luis Arraez, who was on the Minnesota Twins at the time. Cease threw a career-high 114 pitches in his third career complete game (all shutouts).
Lane Thomas walked twice, while C.J Abrams walked in the seventh, as the only baserunners the Nationals had all game. Abrams was stranded at second base when Cease ended the seventh inning, while Thomas was caught stealing, and was out on a double play grounded by Jesse Winker. Thomas was able to extend his on-base streak to 22 games, which is still the longest streak by a Nationals player this season, and the longest since a streak of 26 games in 2023 with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Bogaerts went 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored, since he came off the injured list on July 12, he has hit safely in seven out of eight games.
With the walk, Abrams has reached safely in nine out of his last 12 games, in the 12 games he has hit a triple, a homer, three RBI, two walks and stolen bases each, and four runs scored.
Meanwhile, Juan Yepez was unable to extend his 15-game hitting streak since getting his contract selected on July 5, as he was 0-for-3 with two groundouts and a fly out. That streak tied third-longest streak by players when they first played for a ballclub according to Elias Sports Bureau. The streak was tied with Josh Willingham who had a hitting streak of 15 games in 2012, which also tied a Twins franchise record that hall of famer Kirby Puckett did in his first 15 games in his rookie season in 1984. Willingham spent the 2009 & 2010 seasons with the Nationals. Second on the list was former Padre and current Phillies minor leaguer David Dahl when he hit in his first 17 games for the Colorado Rockies in his rookie season in 2016.
The Nats are no-hit for the second straight season, as Michael Lorenzen achieved the feat for the Philadelphia Phillies on August 9, 2023.
The Padres have gone 6-0 this season against the Nationals, which is the first time the Padres went undefeated against the Nationals since both the Padres and the Montreal Expos joined the National League in 1969.
The Nationals will be traveling to St. Louis to face the Cardinals at Busch Stadium for the weekend series, Mackenzie Gore will be going up against Sonny Gray on Friday at 8:15 pm. Meanwhile the Padres will be staying in the DMV as they will be going to Camden Yards in Baltimore to face the Orioles for the weekend series. Friday’s starter for the Padres has not been announced at the time of writing.
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