In the final inning of baseball in Great American Ball Park this regular season, Noelvi Marte turned in the play of the year for the Cincinnati Reds.
With an out in the Bottom of the 9th, Emilio Pagan served up a meatball to Pittsburgh Pirates right-fielder Bryan Reynolds, who promptly mashed it high and deep to the wall in right. Marte tracked it from the start, timed himself as if he’d been in the outfield his entire life, and jumped right up and robbed the dang thing.
It was a thing of complete
beauty at the most opportune time. Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline helped relay the catch on Bluesky.
Not resting on his laurels, Marte made a running catch for the game’s final out a few seconds later after Andrew McCutchen sent a laser down the line, and Cincinnati walked away with a much, much needed 2-1 victory.
Said win may well end up being marred somewhat by Nick Lodolo exiting with a right groin problem after being similarly brilliant himself, but a win is a win is a win right now as Cincinnati fights for its life in the National League Wild Card race.
This win brings the Reds to within a half game of the New York Mets, who are in action later this evening on the road in Wrigley against the Chicago Cubs.
What a way to wrap regular season baseball in the Queen City. Now, if they can just figure out a way to not fall completely apart against the Milwaukee Brewers…
