Joe Musgrove made Padres history by throwing the franchise’s first no-hitter. San Diego had been the only team in MLB without one. Musgrove, who grew up a Padres fan going to games at Qualcomm and Petco Park, delivered the huge moment in just his second start after being traded to the team. He struck out 10 and kept hitters off balance by mixing six different pitches, eventually relying heavily on sliders and curveballs late in the game. He didn’t throw a single fastball over the final three innings.
A big part of the night was catcher Victor Caratini, who called the game. He had already caught a no-hitter last season with the Cubs and seemed in full control behind the plate. Musgrove credited him for knowing how to handle such a deep pitch mix and make quick in-game adjustments. The cutter helped get early ground balls, and later it was just breaking stuff to finish it off. Inning-by-inning, the plan shifted, and the defense stayed strong behind him.
The ninth inning brought all the tension you’d expect. After a couple of nasty sliders and a grounder he had to field himself, Musgrove sealed it with a routine ground ball to short. Ha-Seong Kim fired to first, and that was it. The team stormed the mound. Players went wild. Padres fans in the stands celebrated like they’d waited decades, which they had. Musgrove hugged Caratini. Manager Jayce Tingler clapped like a proud dad. Profar handed over the game ball. San Diego finally had its no-hitter, and it came from a hometown kid.