Cincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez had a no-hitter through eight innings of Friday night’s game against the San Diego Padres, but lost it in the bottom of the ninth. After walking Trenton Brooks to open up the frame, pinch-hitter Elias Diaz doubled off the center-field fence to end Martinez’s no-hit bid.
Following Diaz’s hit, Martinez was relieved from the game and Taylor Rodgers entered to close it out. The 34-year-old Martinez walked two and struck out six over eight innings of one-hit baseball. He threw 112 pitches, matching a career-high, 75 of which were strikes.
Martinez’s previous season high for pitches was 102. He still has never pitched a complete game in the major leagues.
The Reds won 8-0. Cincinnati’s Spencer Steer homered three times for the first time in his career.
Martinez’s last two appearances came in relief, in which he tossed a combined three shutout innings.
San Diego has been no-hit 11 times in franchise history. The last no-hitter thrown against the Padres came on Aug. 14, 2001, when Diamondbacks left-hander Tyler Gilbert held them hitless in his first MLB start.
Martinez was close to recording the 18th no-hitter by a Reds pitcher, and the first since Wade Miley on May 7, 2021, in a 3-0 win at Cleveland.
There have been three no-hitters thrown at Great American Ball Park since it opened in 2003 by Reds right-hander Homer Bailey in 2013, Jake Arrietta of the Cubs in 2016, and the Giants’ Blake Snell last season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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