Heartbreaking Twist: Dylan Cease’s No-Hit Dream Shattered Before Mysterious Injury Forces Early Exit

Talk about a rollercoaster night at Yankee Stadium—San Diego Padres’ right-hander Dylan Cease was on the cusp of a no-hitter, only to have it slip away in the seventh inning, and then, to make matters worse, he left the game with what looked like an injury. The drama unfolded just moments after Cody Bellinger broke through with a towering 98 mph fastball home run, marking the Yankees’ first hit on the evening. Watching Cease labor through 6 2/3 innings, delivering a season-high nine strikeouts and a solid 59 strikes out of 89 pitches, it was clear he was dialed in—but fate had other plans. When Padres manager Mike Shildt, joined by the athletic trainer, came out to check on Cease during a tense showdown with Jasson Domínguez, fans held their breath as Cease signaled he couldn’t continue and made his way off the mound. Jason Adam swiftly warmed up to close out the inning, preserving the stalemate at 1-1. Cease’s journey this season has been a tale of highs and lows—remember, last July, he etched his name into Padres history with the franchise’s second-ever no-hitter. Acquired from the White Sox just this March, his 2022 campaign had him flirting with Cy Young honors in both leagues. And though the scoreboard read a tie Thursday night, the weight of pitching so close to perfection in the iconic confines of Yankee Stadium—a fortress that’s seen only a dozen no-hitters and hosted Don Larsen’s immortal 1956 World Series perfect game—is no small feat. Those who know the game understand just how rare and thrilling these moments are. For the full story and detailed game recap, check it out here: LEARN MORE.

NEW YORK (AP) — Moments after losing a no-hit bid in the seventh inning, San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease left his start against the New York Yankees with an apparent injury.

Cody Bellinger homered into the second deck in right field on an 0-2 fastball clocked at 98 mph with one out in the seventh for New York’s first hit Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

Cease then struck out Anthony Volpe and got ahead 1-2 in the count against Jasson Domínguez before manager Mike Shildt and a Padres athletic trainer went to the mound.

Cease nodded his head repeatedly during the discussion that followed and ultimately walked off the field with the trainer and into the dugout.

Jason Adam was given all the time he needed to warm up on the field, and he was credited with the strikeout when Domínguez went down looking to end the inning.

Cease, who pitched the second no-hitter in San Diego history last July at Washington, threw 59 of his 89 pitches for strikes. He struck out a season-best nine and walked two in a season-high 6 2/3 innings. Another batter reached on catcher’s interference.

The right-hander is 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA in eight starts this season. He exited with the score tied 1-all.

Cease was acquired from the Chicago White Sox for a package of four players in a March 2024 trade. He finished second in 2022 AL Cy Young Award balloting and fourth in NL voting last year after going 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA in 33 starts during his first season with the Padres.

There have been 12 no-hitters pitched at Yankee Stadium, including Don Larsen’s perfect game for New York in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Eight no-hitters have been thrown against the Yankees — six in New York. Four of those came since the team began playing at Yankee Stadium in 1923. The most recent was a combined effort by Houston pitchers Cristian Javier, Héctor Neris and Ryan Pressly on June 25, 2022.