Nick Martinez Stuns Fans with Near No-Hitter Thriller in Reds’ Dominant Victory Over Padres

Well, it almost happened—an epic no-hitter that would’ve lit up the 2025 MLB season right out of the gate. On a brisk Friday evening, Nick Martinez, pitching for the Cincinnati Reds, danced on the edge of history. Eight innings, not a single hit allowed, as the Reds thrashed the San Diego Padres 8-1. Yet, with the crowning three outs left, the dream slipped away—Padres catcher Elias Díaz cracked a double, ending Martinez’s no-hit masterpiece just shy of the finish line. Honestly, it was one of those heart-stopping moments that reminds you why baseball’s so darn addictive.

Despite that pesky double, Martinez delivered a career-defining performance: six strikeouts, a couple of walks, and 112 pitches thrown with gritty determination. The suspense peaked at the eighth inning’s close when Jake Cronenworth swung and missed, seemingly sealing the no-hit fate. But by the ninth, fatigue crept in—Martinez walked a batter, suffered that crushing double, and then left the mound to reliever Taylor Rogers, who managed to hold the line after allowing a couple of walks. Meanwhile, first baseman Spencer Steer kept the fireworks going with three towering homers, sparking a hefty seven-run victory for Cincinnati.

Nick’s near-no-no is just the latest in a string of tantalizingly close calls this season. Earlier, Jacob DeGrom baffled batters with seven hitless innings for the Rangers before faltering in the eighth. And rookie Jacob Misiorowski dazzled for six perfect innings straight out of the Brewers’ bullpen. If Martinez had crossed the finish line, he would’ve etched his name alongside the Reds’ storied legends—15 no-hitters in the modern era, with Wade Miley’s 2021 gem still fresh in memory. Baseball, man—it’s a game full of agony and ecstasy, and last night was no exception. LEARN MORE

It was close, but MLB will have to wait a little bit longer for the first no-hitter of the 2025 season.

On Friday, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Martinez nearly earned that honor, throwing eight hitless innings in the Reds’ 8-1 win over the San Diego Padres. But in the top of the ninth, with Martinez three outs away from making history, Padres catcher Elias Díaz hit a double to break up Martinez’s no-hit bid.

Even with the hit, Martinez had a career night on Friday: The 34-year-old threw six strikeouts, two walks and one hit in 112 pitches. One of those strikeouts came at the end of the eighth, as Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth struck out swinging to end the inning.

But then, in the ninth, fatigue began to creep in for Martinez, who threw a walk just before Díaz hit his double. Taylor Rogers came in to relieve Martinez, but allowed two walks to give the Padres their sole run before Rogers was able to close out the game.

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However, the Reds pulled off a win thanks to three home runs from first baseman Spencer Steer, who homered in the second, fourth and fifth innings to buoy Cincinnati’s seven-run win.

Martinez becomes the latest pitcher to fall just short of a no-hitter this season, with a few attempts taking place this week. On Wednesday, Texas Rangers’ Jacob DeGrom threw seven no-hit innings in a great win over the Baltimore Orioles, before giving up a leadoff single in the eighth. Earlier this week, Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski threw six perfect innings before exiting.

If he had pulled it off, Martinez would have joined Cincinnati’s long and storied history of hitless games. The Reds have recorded 15 no-hitters in the modern era; most recently, Wade Miley threw a no-no in 2021, recording one walk and eight strikeouts in nine innings.