That turned a 2-1 deficit into a 2-2 tie, but the Rally Reds weren’t finished.
Three batters later, Noelvi Marte banged the first pitch he saw from Adolay into center field, a walk-off 3-2 victory, the Reds’ eighth walk-off win of the season.
After Martini’s one-out home run, Christian Encarnacion-Strand singled and Stuart Fairchild ran for him.
Will Benson struck out, but Fairchild stole second base on the strikeout and continued to third when catcher Yan Gomes threw the ball into center field.
That gave Fairchild his 10th stolen base, joining seven other Reds with 10 or more steals.
Marte, who also made a couple of dazzling defensive plays at third base, then ended it dramatically.
After losing the first game of the doubleheader, 6-2, Cincinnati’s sixth loss in eight games, matters looked bleak.
But the ‘Mar Squad, Martini and Marte turned the ugliness into an on-field celebration.
For eight innings, the Reds had one run and five hits, Cubs relief pitcher Hayden Wesneski pitched 3 1/3 hitless innings and struck out six of the 14 Reds who struck out.
The Reds bullpen, though, was pure and perfect. Buck Farmer, Ian Gibaut and Alexis Diaz tied up the Cubs over the final four innings on no runs and two hits.
Diaz pitched the ninth and gave up a leadoff double to Seiya Suzuki but left him on second by retiring the next three.
Lyon Richardson made his third career start for the Reds on nine days of rest and walked three batters in the first inning. He also struck out three in the first and the Cubs didn’t score.
He pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up only two hits but walked five and one scored.
The first run came on a third-inning home run by Cody Bellinger, his 22nd. He also hit one in the first game and both homers broke the same chair, 404 and 406 feet from home plate.
The Cubs, much like the Reds, have pitching problems and started relief pitcher Jose Cuas. He threw only 13 pitches and left with two outs in the first inning.
For some reason, Cubs manager David Ross replaced Cuas with left-hander Drew Smyly. Smyly started three games against the Reds earlier this season and the Reds ravaged him all three times. And he had been demoted to the bullpen.
So, naturally, the Reds tied it, 1-1, against Smyly in the home second on back-to-back doubles by Jake Fraley and TJ Friedl.
Fraley just came off the injured list with a fractured toe that will need surgery after the season. He finished the game with three hits, meaning maybe the struggling Reds hitters should break a toe or two.
Richardson’s fifth walk came with two outs in the fifth to Nico Hoerner and he stole second, his 35th theft. Sam Moll replaced him.
Chicago’s other constant pain in the neck to the Reds other than Bellinger, University of Cincinnati product Ian Happ, forced Moll to throw 10 pitches and on the 10th Happ rolled a 15-hop single to center, scoring Hoerner for a 2-1 lead.
And that’s where it stayed until the heroics of Martini and Marte.
It was the Reds 42nd come from behind victory and pushed their one-run record to 29-25.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Cubs at Reds, 6:40 p.m., Bally Sports Ohio, 700, 1410
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