Nick Martinez delivered a stellar performance, pitching seven innings and allowing just two hits, while Ty France’s double drove in the sole run of the game, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 1-0 win over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night. This game was a rescheduled fixture from July that was postponed due to rain.
With this defeat, Atlanta fell behind the Mets in the race for the last National League wild card spot, as the Mets secured a 3-2 victory over Toronto.
Martinez (8-6) struck out five batters and held the Braves hitless from the second inning through the seventh, retiring 17 consecutive batters. This marked the fourth time this season he has limited an opponent to just two hits in a game.
Reds manager David Bell lauded Martinez’s performance, highlighting his exceptional efficiency with just one first-pitch ball thrown.
In the eighth inning, Fernando Cruz struck out two batters, and Alexis Díaz wrapped up the game with a flawless ninth inning, notching his 27th save in 30 attempts and completing the two-hitter.
This game, originally scheduled for July 23, was rescheduled after the Reds had won the first two games of the series on July 22 and 24.
A victory would have put Atlanta 14 games above .500 for the season, but instead, they dropped to a 4-4 record in September.
Manager Brian Snitker emphasized that the team needs their key players to perform well and must continue to work hard. With their scoring issues and strong pitching from opponents, there’s little margin for error. The focus needs to be on winning each game.
Atlanta has a 16-22 record in one-run games and is 22-38 when the opponent scores first.
Charlie Morton (8-8) pitched 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven while giving up one run on six hits.
Morton noted that games like this are especially tough given the time of the season.
Cincinnati’s lone run came in the second inning when France’s double scored TJ Friedl, who had been hit by a pitch.
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