WASHINGTON -- Dylan Cease entered his start on Thursday afternoon, fresh off one of the most dominant two-start stretches in Padres history. And yet, somehow, he managed to turn that dominance up a notch at Nationals Park.

Now, Joe Musgrove has company in the Padres’ no-hit history.

Cease dazzled for nine innings, turning in the second no-hitter in franchise history in a 3-0 victory over the Nationals. The right-hander, forced to wait through a 76-minute delay before he took the mound, struck out nine and walked three.

• All-time no-hitters in MLB history

The Padres, of course, endured an agonizing 52-year wait before Musgrove turned in the franchise's first no-hitter on April 9, 2021. The drought before the second wouldn't last quite so long.

Cease, who had allowed only one hit in each of his previous two starts, was even better in this one. He finished what he couldn’t quite complete on Sept. 3, 2022. While pitching for the White Sox, Cease held a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth, before Luis Arraez -- now his teammate -- broke it up with a clean single.

Cease, acquired in a trade with the White Sox just before Opening Day this year, struck out nine and threw 114 pitches as the Wild Card-hopeful Padres won their fifth straight game.

• The teams that have been no-hit most frequently

The Nationals’ best chance at a hit against Cease came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Juan Yepez lofted a bloop over second base. Xander Bogaerts backtracked and got his glove on it but couldn't corral the baseball. When it flipped up in the air, Jackson Merrill was there to make the catch.

Cease one-hit the Nats in seven innings on June 26 (so Washington now has one hit in 16 innings vs. Cease). Cease has allowed two hits in his last 22 innings (six innings with one hit on July 13 vs. Atlanta, seven innings with one hit on July 20 vs. Cleveland, then today)

• Remarkable facts to know about Cease's 1st career no-hitter

The Padres’ defense was stellar throughout. In the bottom of the first, Ha-Seong Kim made a smooth tag to catch Lane Thomas, who was attempting to steal with one out.

Kim was also involved on a tricky double play he turned with Donovan Solano to end the fourth, and in the eighth, Bogaerts dove to his left to make a stop, then, after bobbling the baseball, threw to first in time to nab Keibert Ruiz.