MIAMI —
Chris Paddack believes he can throw a no-hitter every time he is on the mound.
Literally believes it. Feels frustrated when he allows that first hit in a game.
The 23-year-old Texan’s swagger is one of the intangibles that, combined with a smoking fastball and dastardly change-up, makes a special night seem possible any time his turn in the rotation comes up.
For that, there can be faith Wednesday was merely his best try yet.
Pitching against the team that drafted him in 2015 and traded him in 2016 — which he said would give him a little extra motivation — Paddack took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Starlin Castro hit a 1-0 fastball just beyond the wall in left field to end the 8,071st game the Padres have played without a no-no.