Nick Martinez takes no-hitter into ninth as Reds beat Padres

Nick Martinez carried a no-hit bid into the ninth inning and Spencer Steer homered in each of his first three at-bats to lift the host Cincinnati Reds to an 8-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday.
After allowing a two-out walk to Jackson Merrill in the first, Martinez (5-8) retired the next 22 batters before issuing a free pass to Trenton Brooks leading off the ninth. Elias Diaz ended the no-hit bid with a double into the left-center field gap, bringing a close to Martinez’s night after a career high-tying 112 pitches.
Taylor Rogers entered the game and yielded two walks — including one to Bryce Johnson with the bases loaded for a run that was charged to Martinez. Rogers, however, struck out two batters in one inning to send the Reds to their fourth win in the last five games.
Martinez, who allowed one run on one hit with six strikeouts, was attempting to record Cincinnati’s first no-hitter since Wade Miley accomplished the feat against the Cleveland Guardians on May 7, 2021.
Martinez, a 34-year-old veteran, was back to a starting role after making his prior two appearances in relief. In his four starts prior to his brief bullpen stint, he went 1-3 with an 8.35 ERA.
Cincinnati scratched for a pair of runs in the first inning before Steer flexed his muscles to put the game out of reach.
Steer deposited a 2-2 fastball from Dylan Cease (3-7) over the wall in right-center in the second and led off the fourth by sending a 1-0 slider over the wall in left-center. Austin Hays, making his return from the 10-day injured list due to a left foot contusion, ripped an RBI double and scored a run in the fifth before Steer lined a 1-1 fastball from Yuki Matsui into the left-field seats.
The multi-homer performance was the second for Steer, who went deep twice in the Reds’ 6-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 12, 2024. He has nine homers this season.
Gavin Lux had an RBI single, Matt McLain scored on a passed ball and Elly De La Cruz had two hits for the Reds.
Cease permitted four runs (three earned) on five hits in four innings.
TJ Friedl walked, advanced to third on an error by right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and scored on a groundout to open the scoring in the first. McLain scored on a passed ball by catcher Martin Maldonado to stake Cincinnati to a 2-0 lead.