Joe Musgrove tossed the first no-hitter in San Diego's 53-year franchise history as the Padres blanked the Texas Rangers 3-0 on Friday night.

The 28-year-old right hander struck out 10 of 28 batters he faced and threw 112 pitches in his second start of the young Major League Baseball season.

The Padres were the only MLB team not to have recorded a no-hitter. Since joining the league as an expansion team in 1969, the Padres had gone 8,205 games without one.

Musgrove, who grew up in the San Diego area, would have had a perfect game except for the one baserunner he allowed in the fourth inning. That came when he hit Rangers batter Joey Gallo with a pitch in the midsection with two outs allowing Gallo to go to first base.

San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove, centre, is congratulated by his teammates after pitching a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas
San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove, centre, is congratulated by his teammates after pitching a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / RONALD MARTINEZ

"It feels even better to be able to do it in a Padres uniform and selfishly to do it for my city and have everyone know the kid from Grossmont High threw the first no-hitter," Musgrove said.

He closed out the no-hitter by getting Isiah Kiner-Falefa to ground out to Padres shortstop Kim Ha-seong in the final inning in front of the pandemic-limited crowd of 27,500 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Musgrove had never thrown a no-hitter at any level of his baseball career, including Little League.

"I never dreamed of throwing a no-hitter," Musgrove said. "I had never thrown a no-hitter anywhere in my life.

Joe Musgrove celebrates with Victor Caratini after pitching a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers
Joe Musgrove celebrates with Victor Caratini after pitching a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers GETTY / RONALD MARTINEZ

"I have to give a lot of the credit here to Vic (Caratini, his catcher). He seemed to know when they were taking the first pitch and when they were swinging. He was all over it. I was just riding the high, going with adrenaline."

Musgrove also threw his first career complete game and has now pitched 31 consecutive scoreless innings, dating back to last season.

Padres manager Jayce Tingler said he knew what it would mean to Musgrove to throw a no-hitter in his hometown so he never considered taking him out of the contest.

"I think in a way that makes it, if it can be any sweeter, any more special for him, to do it growing up in San Diego and this being his team, it's about the perfect story written," Tingler said.

Nate Lowe, with a line drive to right field, and Jose Trevino, with another line drive to right to end the eighth inning, was the closest the Rangers came to getting a hit off Musgrove.

Musgrove said he started to get a tight back in the sixth inning but powered through the discomfort.

"I was willing my way through those at-bats," he said.