​Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease spoke about his reaction after nearly throwing a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday afternoon. Cease delivered an outstanding performance as Toronto blanked San Francisco 10-0, working eight innings while striking out 11 and allowing just a single hit—the first baseman Heliot Ramos lined a single to left to spoil the bid in the bottom of the ninth. By that point, Cease had already thrown 118 pitches, and Blue Jays manager John Schneider pulled him as the crowd erupted in a standing ovation from the dugout.
Cease was aiming to become only the second Blue Jays pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter, joining Dave Stieb, who accomplished the feat on September 2, 1990. Cease had already shown he can achieve the feat elsewhere, having no-hit the Washington Nationals while with the San Diego Padres on July 25, 2024, so the possibility wasn’t entirely foreign to him. He came agonizingly close, but Ramos’ single broke up the bid, and history remained elusive. Still, Cease delivered an unreal performance and is among the leading contenders to start for the American League in the upcoming MLB All-Star Game.
Speaking with reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, after the game, Cease reflected on the moment he nearly joined an exclusive club. “It’s impossible for it not to be in your mind,” he said, describing the mental focus as he entered the ninth. “I spin the ball well, they probably know that, and I’m thinking Ramos is probably going to be looking for a slider at some point. I figured if I go a couple of heaters and then sinker in, it would surprise him. I wish I got it a little more in, but good batter got a hit, it’s baseball. Could have been a groundball one day. It’s a hit today. It’s all it is really.”
Cease added that he felt his stuff was even better against the Giants than when he no-hit the Nationals in 2024, bluntly noting, “I think I was better today.” Manager Schneider confirmed he was prepared to let Cease continue as long as the no-hitter remained intact, though his outing ultimately ended at a career-high 118 pitches. Schneider shared that Cease had given a clear indication of his readiness to push deep into the game. “Dylan came in after the sixth and said, ‘I got 120,’ and I said, ‘OK.’ And then after the seventh, he said, ‘I got 130.’ It was his until he gave up the hit. Just really fun to watch him execute, good pace, good stuff. Awesome day for him,” Schneider commented.
Pitching coach Pete Walker also lauded Cease’s performance, highlighting his command and tempo. “There are times when he’s pretty deliberate with his delivery, it gets slow, that’s when he overthinks it and can get in trouble mechanically. Today he had great tempo. I thought his turn toward home plate was on time and he was in a great position. I felt like his delivery was really under control. And those are the things we’ve been focusing on and he did a great job with it,” Walker said.
Cease’s near-miss and the team’s resounding 10-0 victory underscored a standout day for the Blue Jays, who watched him produce one of the most efficient, dominant starts of the season. The performance reinforced Cease’s status as a centerpiece for Toronto’s rotation and an exciting story line as the season progresses toward the All-Star break.