CINCINNATI — In a gripping Friday night match-up, a promising no-hit attempt by Cincinnati Reds’ right-hander Nick Martinez was thwarted in the ninth inning by Elias Díaz of the San Diego Padres, who managed to hit a double off the left-center wall. The 34-year-old Martinez, who had walked two batters and struck out six, ended his night after this hit, despite throwing a commendable 112 pitches, a number echoing his career high. Out of these, 75 were strikes over his eight-plus innings pitched. Before this game, his season peak for pitches stood at 102, and he has yet to notch a complete game in the majors. The Reds had a substantial lead, finishing 8-0, with notable highlights from Spencer Steer, who hit three home runs for the first time in his career.
The Padres came close to getting a hit earlier in the game, particularly in the fifth inning when Gavin Sheets sent a line drive towards Will Benson, who executed a sliding catch to maintain the no-hit streak. Before this outing, Martinez had made two relief appearances, during which he delivered a combined three shutout innings, showcasing his versatility on the mound.
San Diego has been no-hit on 11 occasions in its history, the last occurring on August 14, 2001, when the Diamondbacks’ Tyler Gilbert achieved the feat during his first MLB start. Martinez’s attempt was to notch the Reds’ 18th no-hitter and the first since Wade Miley’s accomplishment on May 7, 2021, against Cleveland with a 3-0 scoreline.
Great American Ball Park, since its inception in 2003, has witnessed a trio of no-hitters, performed by Reds’ Homer Bailey in 2013, Cubs’ Jake Arrietta in 2016, and most recently by the Giants’ Blake Snell the previous season.