The Cincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez came within three outs of making history Friday night at Great American Ball Park. Facing his former team, the San Diego Padres, Martinez carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning before surrendering a double to Elias Díaz that ended the bid. Despite falling short of a no-hitter, Martinez walked off to a standing ovation from the crowd of 26,746 after delivering a career performance in the Reds’ 8-1 win.

Martinez threw 112 pitches over eight-plus innings, tying a career high. He allowed just one hit, two walks, and struck out six batters. The 34-year-old faced 30 batters, only three more than the minimum, with his only blemishes before the ninth being walks to Jackson Merrill in the first and Trenton Brooks to open the ninth. Díaz’s double to deep left-center ended his attempt at recording the 18th no-hitter in Reds history and the first since Wade Miley accomplished the feat in 2021.

The Reds called on reliever Taylor Rogers after the double, and one of the two inherited runners eventually scored, preventing Martinez from securing even a shutout. Rogers retired three of the next four batters to finish the game.

This was Martinez’s first start back in the rotation after being briefly moved to the bullpen following a disastrous outing against the Twins on June 19, where he allowed seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. Entering Friday’s contest, Martinez carried a 4.40 ERA across 15 starts and two relief appearances. His previous two relief appearances totaled three scoreless innings.

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The near no-hitter capped a remarkable journey for Martinez, who had spent four seasons in Japan before returning to MLB in 2022. He pitched for the Padres in 2022 and 2023, primarily in relief, before joining the Reds in 2024.

While Martinez flirted with history on the mound, Spencer Steer dominated at the plate. The Reds' first baseman went 3-for-4 with three home runs and four RBIs, becoming the first Reds player with a three-homer game since Jesse Winker in 2021. Steer hit home runs in the second (382 feet), fourth (403 feet), and fifth innings and narrowly missed a fourth in the eighth, striking out to end his bid. It was the 40th three-homer game in franchise history.

The Reds' offense provided early and consistent support. Cincinnati took a 2-0 lead in the first via an Elly De La Cruz RBI groundout and a passed ball by Díaz. Austin Hays, returning from the injured list, contributed a double and scored in the fifth.

With the win, the Reds improved to 43-29, having won 13 of their last 19 games. They sit just 2.5 games back of the third National League wild-card spot. Despite the heartbreak of a lost no-hitter, Nick Martinez’s dominance and Steer’s power helped the Reds start their series against the Padres emphatically.