Several Cardinals pitchers have flirted with the no-hitter over the years; Jack Flaherty, Michael Wacha, Austin Gomber, and Daniel Ponce De Leon, just to name a few.
Carlos Martinez joined that camp last night, going six shutout innings without allowing a hit.
“I feel good,” said Martinez. “I trust in myself, 100%. I’m here, and I’m trying to help the team and help myself. Right now, I feel good with all of my pitches.”
Carlos Martinez is experiencing a sort of renaissance of late. After an 0-4 start to the season, Martinez has gone 3-0 over five starts with a 3.34 ERA.
Unfortunately, however, like all pitchers listed above, the no-hit bid was eventually stopped. Ketel Marte singled to lead off the seventh, breaking up the no-hitter, and that seemed to throw Martinez off his game a little. He left the game leading 4-1 and with two runners on.
On came Genesis Cabrera, one of the more reliable Cardinal relievers. But he was off his game as he allowed a double to Pavin Smith that scored two runs and walked the bases loaded without recording an out. Those two runs were charged to Martinez.
Right-hander Ryan Helsley came in and performed a Houdini act of escaping a bases-loaded, no out jam, later attributing his success to stalwart catcher Yadier Molina.
“It was huge,” said Helsley. “He’s been on the biggest stage possible for this game, and to have him back there to guide us as starters and the bullpen helps make our jobs a lot easier.”
Molina later came up in the tenth with a runner on second. The D’Backs had forced extras with a game-tying hit by Smith in the eighth that came off of Giovanny Gallegos, one day after the hat controversy.
And on the big stage, Yadi delivered a go-ahead double that scored Paul Goldschmidt and put the Cards back ahead for good, as Ponce De Leon earned a save in the bottom half of the tenth.
“He’s Ironman back there,” said Tyler O’Neill, who had a big hit of his own, a two-run homer in the second in his return from the Injured List. “You know he’s a walking legend. … He comes up big in situations like that and is able to get the job done time and time again.”
“We trust in Yadi,” Martinez added. “We know he can help the team when he’s hitting and behind home plate too.”
The Cardinals will send Johan Oviedo to the mound tonight in place of the injured Miles Mikolas. He’ll go up against an old enemy from the 2014 NLCS, former Giants ace Madison Bumgarner. The first pitch will be at 8:40 PM Central.
For more MLB coverage, click here.
