Dylan Cease allowed only one hit and struck out 10 batters over seven innings, while Jake Cronenworth hit a home run and drove in three runs to help the San Diego Padres defeat the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians 7-0 on Saturday night.
Jeremiah Estrada pitched a perfect eighth inning, and Yuki Matsui closed out the game with a flawless ninth, securing a combined one-hitter as San Diego climbed back above .500 at 51-50.
“This was a great rebound, exactly what we needed,” Cronenworth commented. “Dylan was really impressive tonight, and it looks like he’s hitting his stride.”
Cease (9-8) allowed just two baserunners all game — Tyler Freeman’s triple in the third inning and Andrés Giménez’s walk in the fifth. His scoreless streak extended to 13 innings, and his 10 strikeouts pushed his total to a major league-leading 159 for the season.
“Cease was outstanding tonight; he had everything working for him,” remarked Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt. “Other than the pitch Freeman capitalized on, we couldn’t touch him.”
This marked Cease’s fourth game of the season with double-digit strikeouts and the 21st of his career. Acquired in a trade from the White Sox in March, he has already pitched two one-hit shutouts for San Diego.
“It’s really enjoyable when you’re in control and executing at a high level like tonight,” Cease said. “I feel like I’m in a good rhythm, and hitters are struggling to pick up my pitches.”
The Guardians, who have the best home record in the majors at 31-12, suffered only their sixth loss in their last 26 games at Progressive Field. This was their first one-hit game since September 23, 2023, against Baltimore.
San Diego’s offense was also effective, with Luis Campusano driving in two runs with singles and David Peralta adding a solo home run.
“Dylan was dominant; he couldn’t have been much better,” praised Padres manager Mike Shildt. “He gets an A-plus-plus for tonight’s performance.”
