PHOENIX (AP) — Carlos Martinez's no-hit bid ended in the seventh inning when the St. Louis right-hander gave up a leadoff single to Arizona's Ketel Marte on Thursday night.
Marte lined a single into left field that fell in front of Tyler O'Neill, and Eduardo Escobar followed with a single to right. David Peralta then hit a double to deep left-center that scored Marte and chased Martinez from the game.
The Cardinals still led 4-1.
Martinez, a two-time All-Star, retired the first nine batters he faced, including six on strikeouts. He walked Josh Rojas to lead off the fourth and hit pitcher Caleb Smith with a pitch in the sixth.
Martinez got the final two outs in the sixth inning when Rojas hit a hard liner right at third baseman Nolan Arenado, who caught it and then doubled off Smith at first base. But the pitcher's luck ran out in the seventh when Marte smacked a line drive into left.
Martinez also had a hit at the plate, delivering a single in the second inning that was part of a three-run rally.
Martinez was trying to become the seventh pitcher to throw a no-hitter in 2021, even though the season isn't even one-third through the schedule. Seven no-hitters in a season would have tied the record for the most since 1900 and be one shy of the all-time mark set in 1884 — the first season overhand pitching was allowed.
He would have joined San Diego’s Joe Musgrove (April 9), Carlos Rodón of the Chicago White Sox (April 9), Baltimore’s John Means (May 5), Detroit’s Spencer Turnbull (May 18) and the New York Yankees’ Corey Kluber (May 19).
In addition, Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner had a seven-inning hitless game in a doubleheader on April 25 that is not recognized as a no-hitter by Major League Baseball.
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