Noelvi Marte's Defense Comes Full Circle With Game-Saving Catch in Win Over Pirates

After a disappointing couple of days on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Reds desperately needed to win on Thursday.

They took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth. After closer Emilio Pagan came and got the first batter to fly out, he fell behind Bryan Reynolds 3-0. Pagan attacked Reynolds with an inside fastball and it felt like Reynolds knew precisely what was coming. The left-hander swung and hit a towering fly ball that looked like it was gone. However, right fielder Noelvi Marte got under it and leaped about a foot above the wall to bring it back and save the series, but maybe the season.

"Under the circumstances, that's one of the best plays I've ever seen," Reds manager Terry Francona said.

Earlier in the season, Marte was playing third base and would seemingly be replaced by Santiago Espinal late in the game any time the Reds had a late lead.

He was really struggling to throw the ball over to first base. He started shagging balls in the outfield and looked like a natural out there. With more and more reps, the Reds decided to move him to the outfield full-time.

There have been some growing pains out there, but at times, like on Thursday, you see the upside.

"To me, this is one of the best plays I've ever made," Marte said through translator Tomas Vera. "I don't think I've ever done something better than this."

Emilio Pagan had high praise for Marte after the game.

"That was awesome man," Pagan said. "3-0, I actually figured he was going to be swinging there. Everybody knows this is a great place to hit a fly ball to right field. I didn't think he hit it that great, but I knew it had a shot."

"Noelvi has worked so hard out there with CC and the other outfielders. He's come up huge for us all year long and he did it again today."

To go from a liability on defense to making a game-saving catch in the thick of a playoff race is a pretty cool story.

Good for Noelvi Marte and good for the Reds.

Listen to Francona, Gavin Lux, Pagan, and Marte's postgame comments below: