Justin

Martinez

Martinez retired the first batter he faced and then allowed a soft single, followed by a walk, a HBP and another walk. He was pulled at that point, and two of the runners later came around to score. Martinez’s control will get him into trouble at times, but he also just isn’t going to allow much hard contact at all. He’ll probably be a fine closer for the Diamondbacks, even if A.J. Puk is still the better reliever.

As if averaging 100.2 mph with his sinker last year wasn’t impressive enough, Martinez was up to 101.9 mph today. He’s in line to remain the Diamondbacks’ closer, and he has a great chance of keeping the job if he continues to show this kind of gas.

Martinez came into a 7-5 game with two outs in the eighth and gave up an RBI single before retiring Luis Matos to end the inning. The Diamondbacks went on to score an insurance run in the ninth, and Martinez ended up needing it, as he allowed two hits and a run in the inning. Still, he moved to 8-for-8 in his save chance since taking over the closer’s role. He has allowed single runs in six of his last nine appearances.

Martinez took the mound in the top of the ninth to close out the game with a three-run lead after Corbin Carroll’s go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the eighth. He struck out one batter in a clean inning of work for his seventh save.

Martinez has walked the tightrope in a few of his last few save opportunities and today had to pitch around a solo home run to Tyler O’Neill in the ninth inning. Still, he didn’t allow another baserunner and locked down his sixth save of the season. Paul Sewald has been pitching better of late so perhaps Martinez’s leash isn’t as long as it once seemed, but he is the clear closer for now in Arizona.

Martinez was called upon to put out a fire in the eighth inning, with a one-run lead to protect and the tying run on second base. He responded by striking out Xavier Edwards and getting Jake Burger to ground out to second to end the threat. He returned with a three-run lead in the ninth and loaded the bases with only one out — but just one run scored as he uncorked a wild pitch with two outs, then Martinez struck out David Hensley to end it. On the season, he now holds a brilliant 1.89 ERA and 71/30 K/BB ratio over 57 innings on the season.

Martinez didn’t allow a hit and struck out one in what was an uneventful inning. The 23-year-old has been lights out for Arizona all season, registering a 1.79 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings. There’s a very good chance that, should he finish this season strong, he will remain in the closer role for 2025.

The walk was Martinez’s fault, but the run scored from first on a grounder up the middle that was deflected by the second baseman and mishandled by the center fielder, making this a pretty tough loss. The run was the first he’s given up in eight appearances, and he’s still likely the favorite for saves in the Arizona pen for now.

Paul Sewald has been effective of late, but the Diamondbacks stuck with Martinez here. It was his seventh straight scoreless appearance, a span in which he’s picked up all three of his saves.

Martinez committed an error on a comebacker and allowed the Guardians to load the bases before striking out Lane Thomas to end the game. With Paul Sewald showing signs of bouncing back. it’s hard to say how many more save chances Martinez might get. He’s thus far received two of the four since Sewald was pulled from the closer’s role.