In the middle of his eighth MLB season, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May pitched the game of his life. 

On Monday, his 14th start in his first season with the Cardinals, May flirted with immortality before crossing off two major accomplishments in the same game. 

May, 28, pitched a full nine innings while leading the Cardinals to a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres in the opener of a three-game series. He allowed just one hit and one walk in a dominating performance that included nine strikeouts. 

Dustin May enjoyed the best start of his career in a win over the Padres  

May even dragged a perfect game into the seventh inning. 

The complete-game shutout marked the first of each for May in his career. He received a standing ovation from the Cardinals fans in attendance at Busch Stadium.

With his personal-best outing, May has now put together consecutive wins for only the second time this season - he won three starts in a row from April 10 to April 21. 

May has endured an up-and-down first season in St. Louis 

Even after causing the Padres fits, May only improved his record to 5-6 with a 3.75 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 81.2 innings of work in 2026. 

It will now remain to be seen if May can duplicate his monumental game against the Padres, or it will go down as an aberration in the midst of an otherwise average career. 

May was part of the Dodgers' 2020 World Series-winning team 

Before signing a one-year, $12.5 million deal with the Cardinals in December, 2025, May spent six years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, highlighted by being a member of their 2020 World Series championship team, and the second half of last season in the American League with the Boston Red Sox. 

May is 24-26 with a 3.84 ERA and 372 strikeouts in 85 appearances and 71 starts throughout his career.