Joe Musgrove throws first no-hitter in San Diego Padres history
ARLINGTON, Texas — Joe Musgrove said last week he has never wanted anything more than to help his hometown team win its first championship.
On the way, he stopped to make history.
With a storybook start to his time with the team for which he grew up cheering, Musgrove will go down in the history books as the first Padres pitcher to throw a no-hitter.
“It feels even better to be able to do it in a Padres uniform and selfishly to do it for my city and have everyone know the kid from Grossmont High threw the first no-hitter,†Musgrove said.
Yes, the streak of 8,205 games played, of 52 seasons plus a week, is no more. The Padres are no longer the only team to have never thrown a no-hitter.
Joe Musgrove throws the first no-hitter in Padres history in a win over the Rangers.
Musgrove on Friday night threw the first no-hitter by a Padres pitcher, in the franchise’s 8,206th game.
His back felt tight as he warmed up.
He changed his delivery midgame. Even in the sixth inning, he felt he couldn’t execute his delivery consistently.
“I was willing my way through those at-bats,†he said.
He had to pee the final five innings. Never goes in the middle of a start, wasn’t about to start on this night.
Musgrove retired the first 11 batters he faced, hit Joey Gallo on the leg with two outs in the fourth inning and then retired the next 16 batters as the Padres beat the Texas Rangers 3-0 in front of 27,575 at Globe Life Field. (box score)
By the end, those people were cheering every strike Musgrove threw. Most stood when Padres shortstop Ha-seong Kim fielded Isaiah-Kiner Falefah’s grounder and threw across the diamond to first baseman Jurickson Profar for the final out.
Musgrove watched the final play unfold from the side of the mound nearest the first-base line. By the time Profar closed his glove around the ball, Padres catcher Victor Caratini was two steps from Musgrove and proceeded to jump into his arms. Seconds later, every Padres player had arrived from the dugout, the outfield and then the bullpen.
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“It feels so good to show these guys I’m here to compete,†Musgrove said. “With all the distractions that there can be playing at home and living in your home city, I’m ready to play.â€
Musgrove, 28, grew up first chasing batting practice homers at Qualcomm Stadium and then rooting from his family’s season seats beyond right field at Petco Park. He paid special attention when Jake Peavy was pitching. After he was acquired by the Padres in January, he switched to wear Peavy’s number 44.
Peavy won the National League Cy Young award in 2007, one of three won by a Padres pitcher. Musgrove will live in Padres lore alone for now.
Musgrove struck out 10, went to three balls against just three batters and had just four outs made by Padres outfielders. Kim’s backhand play in the hole at shortstop in the fourth inning was as close as the Rangers got to a hit.
Padres manager Jayce Tingler huddled with pitching coach Larry Rothschild and associate manager Skip Schumaker between a couple innings but was never going to remove Musgrove unless he allowed a hit.
Musgrove helped ease his manager’s mind by throwing just 112 pitches — just 35 over the final three innings.
“He was just so freaking efficient,†Tingler said.
Left-hander Tim Hill was warming up in the bullpen during the seventh but sat down as Musgrove’s 90th pitch sailed past Nate Lowe for the final out of the inning. Musgrove then sat on the dugout bench, only Kim anywhere near him.
It was the seventh time Musgrove threw seven scoreless innings in 85 career starts, but he had recorded outs in the eighth inning of a game just three times, and had never gone more than eight innings or thrown more than 108 pitches.
As he began the eighth, Emilio Pagan and Mark Melancon warmed.
Musgrove got through the eighth inning with two groundouts and a line drive directly to Wil Myers in right field, on his 103rd pitch.
That was just the sixth ball hit hard off Musgrove all night.
Musgrove this time was alone on the bench as the Padres batted in the top of the ninth. He drank his “11th or 12th†bottled water as he sat with his right arm wrapped in a towel. It was then that he noticed fellow starting pitcher Blake Snell had not moved from his spot on the dugout rail for the entire game. Snell confirmed that fact later and added he had prevented pitcher Adrian Morejón from moving as well.
Kim drew a two-out walk to prolong the suspense.
He was just the third Padres batter to reach base after the fifth inning, a circumstance Musgrove did not mind.
“It was kind of nice we’re going 1-2-3 offensively so I could get back out there and stay fresh,†he said. “Had those innings gone a little longer, who knows how it would have turned out.â€
Melancon got back up to throw at a somewhat leisurely pace as Caratini batted. Kim was caught in a rundown after a pick-off.
Motley Crue’s “Kickstart My Heart†blared over Globe Life’s speakers as Musgrove threw his warmup pitches.
Five times before, a Padres no-hitter had disappeared in the ninth inning.
Pinch-hitter David Dahl lined a 1-1 curveball to Jake Cronenworth at second base. Leody Taveras topped a ball in front of the mound, and Musgrove tagged him out. Then came an 0-1 curveball to Kiner-Falefa, the 28th time he had thrown the pitch and the 10th time in the final three innings.
And then, six innings after the Padres scored their final run of the game, hats were flying and players were jumping around Musgrove with wide grins. Later, a group of more than 100 Padres fans gathered above the visitors’ dugout and cheered and chanted as Musgrove did an interview for Bally Sports San Diego.
Musgrove was showered and dressed in a flannel shirt by the time he addressed the media. He still hadn’t checked his phone.
“Even when you know it’s coming, this guy has pretty elite breaking balls,†said Rangers manager Chris Woodward. “I watched every pitch he threw in his last outing and I was a little concerned just because of the sharpness of the stuff and honestly the way he was commanding the baseball. I was hoping he (wouldn’t be as good today) as he was his last outing, but clearly he was a little bit better.
“A lot of our guys knew what was coming sometimes and weren’t able to get a swing off on some of his pitches. Just shows you how good he was. He threw the ball well. Clearly we ran into a buzz saw today. First time in their history. So hats off to him.â€
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