Terry Francona Weighs In on Nick Martinez’s Near No-Hit Gem originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Cincinnati Reds regained momentum on Friday as they flattened the San Diego Padres in a three-game series opener at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
On the strength of Nick Martinez’s incredible pitching performance, the Reds bounced back from a 7-1 loss last Wednesday to the New York Yankees by scoring an 8-1 victory over Manny Machado and the Friars.
Martinez was simply sensational on the mound, as the 34-year-old right-hander took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, where he gave up a double to San Diego pinch-hitter Elias Diaz.
Before that, he walked rookie Trenton Brooks to begin the ninth frame. Martinez was replaced on the mound by Taylor Rogers after Diaz’s double, with the crowd giving the veteran hurler an ovation as he walked to the dugout.
Despite losing the no-hit bid, there is no denying that Martinez had a night to remember.
Martinez’s showing got everyone in the stadium on the edge, including Reds’ manager Terry Francona.
“That was as nervous as I’ve been in a long time,” Francona told reporters following the game (h/t Chatterbox Sports). “They say good things happen to good people, what he did this week, going to the bullpen, seemed kind of like he deserved that.”
After coming in relief over his last two appearances, Martinez got the nod to start again versus the Padres, who boast plenty of dangerous hitters, including Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez. He passed his test against San Diego, collecting six strikeouts along the way and lowering his season ERA from 4.40 to 4.12.
The Reds improved to 43-39 after the win over the Padres.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.