Braves lose no-hitter on 2-out HR, still top Mets

NEW YORK — The Atlanta Braves were one out away from throwing their first no-hitter in 30 years Saturday at Citi Field.

Max Fried had spearheaded the effort, overcoming uncharacteristic command trouble over seven innings. Joe Jimenez had played with fire in the eighth but kept the no-hitter intact. Finally, closer Raisel Iglesias had secured the first two outs of the ninth to bring up J.D. Martinez.

One pitch later, the no-no was over.

Martinez, the Mets’ veteran designated hitter, jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Iglesias, launching it over the right-center-field wall for a solo home run to spoil the no-hit bid. The heroics marked Martinez’s first home run as a Met and briefly sparked a comatose offense. But Iglesias, after allowing two runners to reach base, eventually recorded the 27th out to seal Atlanta’s 4-1 win.

The Braves have gone without a no-hitter since Kent Mercker pulled the feat against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 8, 1994. It is the fourth-longest drought in the major leagues — an odd factoid for a franchise that has employed premier starting pitching for much of the past three decades.

Houston Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco‘s gem last month remains the only no-hitter in the majors this season.

“We didn’t want to get no-hit,” Martinez said. “But in that situation, that moment, I’m just thinking about my plan, my game, and what I’m trying to do in that at-bat off Iglesias. You can’t get caught up in all that. Then you start putting all this excess pressure on yourself for what? You get no-hit? Who cares? Tomorrow’s another day.”

After the game, Iglesias said he didn’t know the Braves were one out away from ending the drought.

“When the game ended and I came into the clubhouse, they asked me if I knew there was a no-hitter,” Iglesias said. “I really didn’t know.”

Fried logged the first seven innings for Atlanta, compiling five strikeouts and three walks, before he was pulled with a season-high 109 pitches. For Braves manager Brian Snitker, removing Fried from the game was an easy decision.

“It’s hard to throw a no-hitter,” Snitker said. “We got a long season. It’s more about winning the game than a no-hitter.”

Two of Fried’s three walks came in the third inning before he struck out Starling Marte to extinguish the threat. The Mets managed to put just one more runner in scoring position before the ninth inning, when Jimenez walked two batters in the eighth. He wiggled out of the jam by striking out Tyrone Taylor and Marte.

The Mets nearly broke through against Fried on a few occasions. In the second inning, Pete Alonso mashed a pitch 104.9 mph off the bat and 405 feet to center field that would’ve been a home run in six big league ballparks. Instead, it was a fly out. Moments later, Martinez hit a 105.6 mph line drive at third baseman Austin Riley for the second out of the inning.

Martinez nearly delivered the Mets’ first hit again in the seventh inning when, after Alonso worked a walk, he lined a ball 408 feet to center field. Michael Harris II caught what would’ve been a home run in 12 ballparks on the warning track before crashing into the wall. Fried then struck out Jeff McNeil looking with his 109th pitch to end his outing.

“Especially at this part of the season and having a big picture of what we want to do, going 140, 150 pitches might not be the best,” Fried said. “So just always keeping things in perspective and knowing that if I want to give myself that opportunity, I got to be a lot more economical with my pitch count and just more efficient in attacking hitters.”

New York’s offense was dealt a blow when leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo exited the game after the fourth inning with what the Mets termed “right intercostal irritation.” Nimmo flied out and walked in his two plate appearances before departing.

Nimmo said he doesn’t expect to land on the injured list and is hopeful he will play in Sunday night’s series finale.