ARLINGTON, Texas – – Joe Musgrove, right-hander of San Diego Padres, struck for the first time in the history of his hometown team, allowing only one front-runner in a 3-0 win over the Texas Rangers.
The Padres were the only active MLB franchise without a non-hitter, coming in their 8,206th game of the regular season – from a 28-year-old who grew up just down the road in El Cajon, California.
“It’s great to be in a Padres uniform,” said Musgrove, who has never thrown a victim on any level. “It’s amazing to have the first in the history of the franchise.”
In only his second start for San Diego, Musgrove (2-0) hit 10 and got 28 batsmen, one above the minimum.
Padres manager Jayce Tingler let Musgrove go the distance because he was so efficient – and knowing what it would mean to put a hometown player to an end to the franchise’s drought in the 53rd season.
“I think in a way that, if it can be sweeter and special to him, to raise it in San Diego and it’s his team, it’s about the perfect story that was written,” Tingler said.
Rangers’ only forerunner was Joey Gallo, who was hit by a two-pointer in the fourth innings. Jose Trevino had a hard lineout for the right field for the final from the eighth, and David Dahl jerked the first out of the ninth right at second base Jake Cronenworth.
“There were like three different scenarios where I thought I lost it,” Musgrove said.
Musgrove (2-0), which throws 77 of its 112 spots for strikes, is in its sixth major league season. He had previously beaten Houston (2016-’17) and Pittsburgh (2018-’20) and had never thrown a full game in his previous 84 career.
“I’m exhausted, man,” he said. “There was no way I was going to get out of the game.”
It was the first time the season was not played in the majors, and only the second full game.
The last time the majors were was thrown by Alec Mills of the Chicago Cubs on September 13, 2020 against Milwaukee. His catcher was Victor Caratini, who was also behind Musgrove behind the bar.
San Diego acquired the big right on Jan. 19 as part of a seven-player, three-team trade. He hit Pittsburgh last season.
In his debut for San Diego, which came home last Saturday, he hit eight in six pointless innings against Arizona. He failed to win that match when he threw 57 of 78 spots for strikes.
It was the fourth time the Rangers have not been beaten. The last time was on April 18, 2007 by Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox.
According to Baseball-Reference, there were 307 non-hits in MLB history before Musgrove and the Padres. It included 293 individual no-hitters and 14 joint no-nrs.
The Padres have had their share of close calls for the past 52 seasons. They stepped out of the fight twice, most recently at a joint bid that Aaron Harang started against the Dodgers on July 9, 2011. Juan Uribe finished the final with Luke Gregerson and later disappeared a batter in a 1-0 LA win.
Wil Meyers put the Padres ahead to stay in the second innings with his RBI doubles, and then from second base on Tommy Pham’s expanse to the deep right center to make it 2-0 against Kohei Arihara (0- 1).
Arihara made his first start for the Rangers after arriving in Japan for the last six seasons. He allowed five shots and three runs (two earned) over four overs. He threw just 73 stands.
The Meyers doubles got Eric Hosmer at home from first base, though it took a review of nearly two minutes to get the safe call. Hosmer got his left hand on the board, the same time the catcher caught Trevino’s fingerprint on his shoulder.
Meyers rushes home after Pham’s volleyball was caught by Leody Taveras on the track in front of the Rangers bull in the right middle. Taveras made a clear catch, but when he turned around to throw the ball in again, he scooped it out of his glove and it rolled away from him.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: CF Trent Grisham was at the top of the batting order after being injured again on the ten-day list. He missed the first seven games of the regular season due to a left hamstring injury sustained in mid-March. OR Brian O’Grady was elected to the alternative training site. Grisham was 2 for 4 with a double in the third, when he passed on a double by Manny Machado.
Rangers: Right-hander Matt Bush (right elbow inflammation) and third baseman Brock Holt (right leg strain) were injured on the ten-day list. Bush only pitched three innings in his return because he did not miss 2 1/2 seasons because he had elbow surgery twice. … LF David Dahl was not with manager Chris Woodward who described him as just a little under the weather.
FOLLOWING
RHP Chris Paddack (0-1) starts for the Padres, who will succeed for their sixth consecutive victory over the Rangers. RHP Jordan Lyles (1-0) plays for Texas.
——