Musgrove tosses first no-hitter in Padres history
San Diego right-hander allows only one baserunner, strikes out 10 in 3-0 victory over Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas — A longtime member of the Friar Faithful, Joe Musgrove knew all about San Diego’s no-hitter history. There wasn’t any.
Until now.
Musgrove, the 28-year-old pitcher who grew up just down the road in El Cajon, Calif., threw the Padres’ first no-hitter — in the team’s 8,206th regular-season game — allowing only one baserunner in a 3-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.
San Diego had been the only active MLB franchise without a nohitter.
“It’s awesome to have it be in a Padres uniform,” said Musgrove, who had never thrown a no-hitter at any level. “To have it be the first in the history of the franchise, that’s incredible.”
It was only his second start for the Padres — a team that started playing in 1969, for which his family has long had season tickets, and for which he now wears No. 44 to honor former Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, one of his favorite players growing up.
Musgrove (2-0) struck out 10 and faced 28 batters, one over the minimum. He threw 77 of his 112 pitches for strikes.
“I wasn’t coming out of that game. I knew once I gave up the hit, I expected that would be my night, and I’d be all right with that,” he said. “I was just so locked in. I had no intention of coming out of that game.”
Padres manager Jayce Tingler let Musgrove go the distance because he was so efficient — and knowing what it would mean to have a hometown player end the franchise’s nohitter drought in its 53rd season.
“I think in a way that makes it, if it can be any sweeter, any more special for him, to do it growing up in San Diego and this being his team, it’s about the perfect story written,” Tingler said.
The only Rangers baserunner was Joey Gallo, who was hit by a pitch with two outs in the fourth inning. Jose Trevino had a hard lineout to right field for the final out of the eighth, and pinch-hitter David Dahl ripped the first out of the ninth right at second baseman Jake Cronenworth.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa made the final out, a routine grounder to short.
“There was like three different scenarios where I thought I lost it,” said Musgrove, who described himself as “freaking exhausted.”
Musgrove is in his sixth major league season. He previously pitched for Houston (201617) and Pittsburgh (2018-20) and never had thrown a complete game in his previous 84 career starts.
The majors’ last no-hitter was thrown by the Chicago Cubs’ Alec Mills on Sept. 13, 2020 against Milwaukee. His catcher was Victor Caratini, who was also behind the plate for Musgrove.
Wil Myers put the Padres ahead to stay in the second inning with his RBI double, then scored from second base on Tommy Pham’s flyout to deep right-center to make it 2-0 against Kohei Arihara (0-1).
Arihara made his first start for the Rangers after pitching the last six seasons in Japan. He allowed five hits and three runs (two earned) over four innings. He threw only 73 pitches.