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Hal McCoy<\/p>\n
The Big Road Machine bogged down on Wednesday, April 22 at St. Petersburg Beach.<\/p>\n
After winning their first five games on this road trip and taking a 10-2 road record this season into Tropicana Field, the Cincinnati Reds were stopped by the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-1.<\/p>\n
And they were sidetracked by a familiar face, former teammate Nick Martinez, the Fred Astaire of the pitching mound with his dancing feet.<\/p>\n
Martinez, a member of Cincinnati\u2019s pitching staff the previous two seasons, told reporters before the game, \u201cIt\u2019ll be cat-and-mouse. Should be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martinez was the cat and the Reds were the mice and it was fun for Martinez but not for the Reds.<\/p>\n
Martinez, a 35-year-old stuffed with savvy, pitched eight innings for only the third time in his career, twice for the Reds.<\/p>\n
Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy knows a thing or two about our nation\u2019s pastime. Tap \u2026<\/p>\n
He needed only 94 pitches, 71 of them strikes that featured a bevy of 79 miles per hour change-ups, and held the Reds to one run and five hits \u2014 four singles and a double.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, all of the things I said about him (Martinez) I said last year, I would say the exact same thing, but it wasn\u2019t for us, it was against us\u201d Reds manager Tito Francona told reporters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what he can do,\u201d added Francona. \u201cHe threw strikes and he stayed out of the middle of the plate and changed speeds. He pitched.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the flip side, Reds starter Brandon Williamson began the game in the first inning as if it was going to be a breeze.<\/p>\n
The breeze turned into a hurricane in the second and third innings.<\/p>\n
He began the game by striking out Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda and inducing a pop-up from Junior Caminero.<\/p>\n
Three up, three down \u2014 quick, efficient outs.<\/p>\n
It was a different pitcher that walked to the mound for the second. Suddenly, he lost command.<\/p>\n
Williamson issued two walks to open the second inning, then a run-scoring single up the middle by a Williamson on the other side, Ben Williamson.<\/p>\n
Chandler Simpson hit a sacrifice fly and Diaz singled home another run for a 3-0 Tampa Bay lead.<\/p>\n
Caminero opened the third by driving Williamson\u2019s second pitch 404 feet over the right-center wall.<\/p>\n
The Rays made it 5-1 in the fifth on a leadoff infield single by Diaz, a walk and a run-scoring single by Ryan Vilade to push the lead to 5-1 and end Williamson\u2019s day.<\/p>\n
His line was 4 1\/3 innings, five runs, seven hits, three walks and a hit batsman.<\/p>\n
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Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson walks off after being taken out against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla.<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara – AP<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was his command,\u201d said Francona about Williamson\u2019s day. \u201cA leadoff walk, he hit a batter \u2026 when he did command, he was fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had a good change-up, he spins it, he just had some unforced errors, I guess you\u2019d call it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The Reds had opportunities that flopped.<\/p>\n
T.J. Friedl opened the game with a single, but stayed anchored at first when Matt McLain lined to right, Elly De La Cruz rolled into a force play and Sal Stewart struck out.<\/p>\n
De La Cruz and Eugenio Suarez both encountered difficulties gauging Martinez\u2019s offerings.<\/p>\n
De La Cruz was 0 for 4 and struck out twice, both times looking at fastballs after falling behind on soft stuff.<\/p>\n
Suarez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.<\/p>\n
Cincinnati\u2019s biggest chance for a big inning surfaced in the fifth when the first three batters, the bottom of the order, reached base.<\/p>\n
Nate Lowe began the inning with a single and Spencer Steer doubled, the Reds\u2019 only extra base hit. When Will Benson walked, the Reds had the bases loaded with no outs.<\/p>\n
P.J. Higgins hit a sacrifice fly, but Steer was cut down at home on Friedl\u2019s grounder to first and McLain lined out to right.<\/p>\n
So after having the bases full with no outs, the Reds scored only one run.<\/p>\n
Stewart singled with one out in the sixth, then Martinez retired the last eight batters he faced.<\/p>\n
The Rays outfield, all three of them, made catches against the wall to aid Martinez.<\/p>\n
Friedl drove one to the wall and center fielder Jonny DeLuca crashed into it while snagging the ball in the third.<\/p>\n
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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz throws out Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero at first base during the seventh inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla.<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara – AP<\/p>\n
Stewart drilled one into the right field corner in the fourth and Vilade slammed into the wall while catching it.<\/p>\n
Steer laced one to the wall in left field in the seventh and Simpson banged against the wall while snaring the ball.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Steer hit one good enough and Sal\u2019s ball I thought was a home run,\u201d said Francona. \u201cAt the time that would have been really big.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the time the Reds had a runner on first and were only down, 4-0.<\/p>\n
And matters could have been worse had the Reds not turned three double plays and the Rays were 3 for 10 with runners in scoring position.<\/p>\n
The Reds are off Thursday before opening a three-game series Friday night against the Detroit Tigers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It will be Hall of Fame weekend at Great American Ball Park when Lou Piniella, Reggie Sanders, Aaron Harang and Brandon Phillips are inducted.<\/p>\n
Phillips will sign a ceremonial one-day contract so he can officially retire as a member of the Reds.<\/p>\n
NEXT GAME<\/p>\n
Who: Detroit at Cincinnati<\/p>\n
When: 6:40 p.m., Friday, April 24<\/p>\n