Padres' Cease throws no-hitter vs. Nationals

San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease tossed a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

The 28-year-old struck out nine and walked three during his dominant 114-pitch outing. He hit 100 mph on his 110th pitch.

Cease said he had to do some lobbying with the Padres' coaching staff to stay in the game following the seventh inning.

"He (Mike Shildt) said 'nice job' and I looked up and it was 94 pitches and I said 'I feel great and if we get through the next one in 105 (pitches), I've thrown 113 this year,' so thankfully they let me talk them into it and here we are," Cease said during a postgame interview.

Cease got some help from his defense more than once in Thursday's contest. Xander Bogaerts and Jackson Merrill teamed up for a creative out in the fifth inning, and Bogaerts kept the no-hitter alive in the eighth with a diving snag that nearly got away from him.

Cease's no-hitter is the second in franchise history. Teammate Joe Musgrove threw the first on April 9, 2021.

The outing comes nearly two years after Cease lost a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins while pitching for the Chicago White Sox. Padres teammate Luis Arraez was the one who spoiled it.