He’s come oh-so-close before, but Tyson Ross was never able to finish the job until Wednesday.
The right-hander threw his first career complete game in the big leagues, tossing a dominating three-hit shutout as the Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 to complete a three-game sweep at Petco Park.
“It was a lot of fun,” Ross said. “That’s special. It’s the first time I’ve been able to finish.”
Ross (7-8) struck out nine without allowing a walk. He had lost four of his last five starts, getting just one total run of support in that time.
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Catcher Rene Rivera’s three-run single in the first inning was the only scoring of the game. It was more than enough for Ross, who has thrown at least seven innings 13 times over the past two seasons and finished the eighth three times, but never gone all nine.
“He really smelled the finish line,” manager Bud Black said. “We talked just briefly after the eighth. There was no doubt in my mind he would put a zero up.”
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The win gives the Padres (38-47) their first series sweep of the season. They shut out the Reds (43-41) twice in the series, holding them to just two total runs in the three games. They also match their season-long win streak with four in a row.
Ross outdueled Reds starter Johnny Cueto (8-6), who allowed seven hits and walked three in seven innings.
He becomes just the fifth player in franchise history to throw a complete game shutout while striking out at least nine without walking anyone.
“He kept their hitters off balance,” Rivera said. “You could see their frustration.”
The Padres appeared to have scored another run in the sixth inning when Seth Smith doubled home Irving Falu, but Falu was called out for missing third base. A subsequent replay review upheld the call.
The Padres have Thursday off before hosting the division-leading San Francisco Giants this weekend.
