Dustin May delivered the finest start of his injury-marred career, tossing a one-hit shutout in the St. Louis Cardinals' 3-0 victory over the San Diego Padres. The 28-year-old right-hander worked 101 pitches, striking out nine while issuing just one walk across his first complete game in 71 major league starts.

Manny Machado's single to left field in the seventh inning ended May's no-hit bid, but the pitcher responded by retiring the final seven batters he faced. His final pitch broke sharply enough that Fernando Tatis Jr. couldn't check his swing, sending the Busch Stadium crowd into celebration as May capped his masterpiece.

May's journey to this moment included multiple arm injuries and a life-threatening esophagus tear that limited him to just 101 innings between 2021 and 2024. Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was traded to Boston before joining St. Louis this season. His performance marked the sixth individual shutout in the majors this season.

This outing represented a stark contrast from May's previous gem on May 27, when he exited after seven no-hit innings against Milwaukee only to take the loss as the Brewers rallied. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol kept May in the game this time, and the pitcher became the first St. Louis starter this season to record an out in the eighth inning.