Kevin Brown's No-Hitter vs. Chicago Cubs (1996)

Lore & Background

The Padres have won two NL pennants, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times. They are tied with the Milwaukee Brewers as the oldest teams never to have won the World Series. Until 2021, the Padres were the last team in MLB that had yet to throw a no-hitter. The record was broken on April 9, 2021, as Joe Musgrove accomplished the feat against the Texas Rangers. In 2024, Dylan Cease threw a no-hitter against the Nationals on July 25.

In Their Own Story

The late afternoon sun beat down on the infield dirt at Jack Murphy Stadium as Kevin Brown stepped onto the mound for the ninth inning. The scoreboard read 5-0, but the silence in the stadium was heavy; one hit would shatter history. He locked eyes with the batter, wiped his glove, and delivered a fastball that snapped through the zone for a strikeout. As the final out was recorded, the roar of the crowd erupted, a sound that would echo through Padres lore forever.

Reader's Guide

The Padres play their home games at Petco Park in downtown San Diego. The team has retired six numbers: Steve Garvey's No. 6, Randy Jones's No. 35, Dave Winfield's No. 31, Tony Gwynn's No. 19, Trevor Hoffman's No. 51, and Jackie Robinson's No. 42 (retired throughout MLB). The retired numbers are displayed in the Ring of Honor on the upper deck façade above the press box behind home plate.

Did You Know?

• The Padres adopted their name from the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League, a team that arrived in San Diego in 1936.
• In 1976, Randy Jones achieved the first Cy Young Award for the Padres.
• Tony Gwynn won eight National League batting titles during his career with the Padres.
• On August 20, 2020, the Padres became the first team in MLB history to hit a grand slam in four consecutive games.
• The Padres are owned by José E. Feliciano & Kwanza Jones, who have owned the team starting in 2026.