Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Martinez received a standing ovation after narrowly missing out on a no-hitter against his former team, the San Diego Padres, in an 8-1 Reds victory highlighted by Spencer Steer’s three home runs. Martinez held the Padres hitless through eight innings, but a ninth-inning double by Elias Díaz spoiled his historic bid. Despite that, the crowd of 26,746 at Great American Ball Park celebrated his stellar effort.
Martinez threw 112 pitches over eight-plus innings, tying his career high. He gave up only one hit and two walks while striking out six. He faced 30 batters, with only two reaching base prior to the ninth inning. The would-be no-hitter would have been the 18th in Reds history and the first since Wade Miley in 2021.
Reliever Taylor Rogers entered after the double and allowed one inherited runner to score, costing Martinez a shutout. Rogers handled the rest of the inning to seal the win. This impressive outing came in Martinez’s return to the rotation after a brief bullpen stint, following a rough start against the Twins on June 19 where he gave up seven runs in under three innings. He came into Friday’s game with a 4.40 ERA over 17 appearances.
