Padres bet on Dylan Cease's gem with two straight wins – NBC 7 San Diego

Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez dueled for most of the afternoon. Cease struck out the first 15 batters he faced. Jason Heyward hit a single to start the sixth inning, ending Cease's attempt to pitch his second no-hitter of the season or his first perfect game.

Cease's efficiency allowed him to pitch until the ninth inning. Heyward was the only baserunner Cease allowed in eight innings. Mauricio Dubon led off with a single. After getting his fifth and final strikeout of the game, Jose Altuve came on board thanks to an error by Xander Bogaerts. Cease came out after throwing 103 pitches and throwing 8.1 scoreless throws.

Tanner Scott made the last two outs.

Valdez wasn't quite as stingy, but managed to keep the home team from scoring. After allowing a double to Xander Bogaerts and a single to Jackson Merrill in the second inning, Valdez got Jake Cronenworth to hit an inning-ending double play. The Padres then got runners on second and third base an inning later, but Valdez put Tatis and Machado out of action, ending the threat.

Machado broke the seal in the sixth with his first punch.

Valdez pitched seven innings, allowing five hits and two walks and recording six strikeouts. The one-run outing lowered his ERA to 2.85.