Mets' J.D. Martinez Ends Braves' No-Hit Bid With 2-Out HR in 9th, Stuns MLB Fans
Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRT
Featured Columnist IVMay 11, 2024
We almost had the second no-hitter of the 2024 MLB season. J.D. Martinez said, "Nah."
The New York Mets' slugger broke up the Atlanta Braves' combined no-no bid with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, blasting a solo home run in the 4-1 loss.
The Atlanta Braves' trio of Max Fried (seven innings, five strikeouts, three walks), Joe Jiménez (one inning, two strikeouts, two walks) and Raisel Iglesias (one inning, two hits, one run, one strikeout) were oh-so-close to combining for the second no-hitter of the 2024 season.
But it wasn't to be, and fans and pundits alike were shocked by Martinez spoiling the effort:
James Smyth @JamesSmyth621J.D. Martinez homers off Raisel Iglesias! The first home run to break up a no-hitter with 2 outs in the 9th since Bobby Higginson of the Tigers off Roy Halladay of the Blue Jays on September 27, 1998: <a href="https://t.co/kQm8TFeHPJ">https://t.co/kQm8TFeHPJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/CNk7Ncrlut">https://t.co/CNk7Ncrlut</a>
It was Martinez's first home run with the Mets.
Fried, meanwhile, is on an absolute heater. On April 23, he threw a complete-game shutout in a 5-0 win over the Miami Marlins. On April 29 he was pulled after six innings against the Seattle Mariners but didn't give up a hit on the mound.
Yes, he's now gone 13 straight innings without giving up a hit. That's just wildly impressive.
OptaSTATS @OptaSTATSMax Fried of the <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Braves</a> is the first MLB pitcher to pitch 6.0+ innings and finish with no hits allowed twice in a span of three appearances since Johnny Vander Meer did so with his back-to-back no-hitters in 1938. <a href="https://t.co/SyRar5cBoe">pic.twitter.com/SyRar5cBoe</a>
Justin Toscano @JustinCToscanoThis is Max Fried's third start with at least five no-hit innings: <br> -A shutout on April 23<br> -Six no-hit innings on April 29 <br>-Five no-hit innings in New York today (and he's not done yet)<br><br>At this moment, his ERA is down to 3.74. Pretty great run after a tough start to '24.
The Braves improved to 24-12 on the season with the win, moving them just 1.5 games behind the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies (27-12). The Mets dropped to 18-20 and 8.5 games behind Philly in the NL East.
After Spencer Strider was lost for the season, undergoing surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament, there was concern about how Atlanta's rotation would fare this season. Coming into Saturday, however, the Braves ranked third in both team ERA (3.52) and WHIP (1.21) and fourth in opponent batting average (.234).
It looked like they were about to make some history on Saturday, too. Close, but no cigar.