The Cincinnati Reds squeezed out a tense 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night, riding a masterful seven-inning performance from starter Nick Martinez and clutch hitting from their young core. Martinez, working with precision, scattered four hits and struck out four while allowing just one run—a sacrifice fly from Tommy Pham in the third—before handing the ball to a lockdown bullpen. Noelvi Marte delivered the decisive blow with a 3-for-4 night, including an RBI single in the fifth that broke a 1-1 tie, while Spencer Steer chipped in two hits of his own. The Reds’ offense, though quiet for much of the night, capitalized on Pittsburgh’s wildness, drawing three walks and grinding out at-bats against five Pirates pitchers.

Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft kept the game tight early, fanning five over 3.1 innings, but the Pirates’ bats never found their rhythm against Martinez and Cincinnati’s trio of relievers. Spencer Horwitz collected two of Pittsburgh’s four hits, but the heart of the order—Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, and Andrew McCutchen—combined to go 0-for-10, stranding six runners. The loss drops the Pirates further back in the wild-card hunt, while the Reds, buoyed by Marte’s breakout performance and Martinez’s veteran poise, inch closer to solidifying their playoff positioning.