SAN DIEGO -- There was mutual respect going between Reds pitcher Nick Martinez and his old club, the Padres, on Tuesday night.

It was in San Diego where Martinez successfully rebooted his Major League career from 2022-23 after a four-season stint in Japan. The right-hander had to squelch the butterflies in his stomach early on while facing his former team. Even after doing that, misfortune still bit him and the Reds during a 6-4 loss at Petco Park.

“I felt good. A little bit of nerves the first inning facing some old buddies," Martinez said. “Obviously, this team, we have some history. I had fun playing with those guys.”

Martinez allowed five runs -- three earned -- six hits and one walk over five innings while striking out three.

Opposing starter Yu Darvish paid tribute to Martinez by using his old mound music -- “Baianá” by Bakermat -- while taking the field in the top of the first inning.

"Everybody loves Nick in this clubhouse," Darvish said. "I've been a great friend of Nick for a long time. It was more kind of to show Nick respect."

Darvish, who returned from the injured list, blanked the Reds for five innings.

Martinez opened the bottom of the first inning by yielding a single and a four-pitch walk before making an error on Jake Cronenworth's grounder to the mound. But with the bases loaded and no outs, he escaped.

In the third inning, after Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a double to left-center field, Cronenworth blooped an RBI single just over second baseman Jonathan India's head in short right field.

In the fifth, with two men on, Cronenworth hit what looked to be an RBI groundout to second base. But catcher's interference was called on catcher Luke Maile.

According to rules on catcher's interference, the batting team can accept the result of the play rather than the base that the batter would otherwise be awarded. That would have given the Padres two outs and a run scored. Or they could accept the interference call and take the run off the board and have the bases loaded with one out.

Padres manager Mike Shildt chose interference. That meant loading the bases for Manny Machado.

“Because now it’s bases loaded, with their best hitter and I have to pitch to him," Martinez said. "I definitely understand the call, yeah. It worked out in their favor.”

Martinez wanted to go up and in on Machado with his first pitch but missed the location. It was hit into the left-center-field gap for a three-run double and 4-0 Padres lead.

“That’s kind of been my thing this year. Some bad luck and the bad pitch, four runs," Martinez said. "It’s frustrating but part of the game. I just have to keep going.”

A swingman signed by Cincinnati in December to a two-year, $26 million contract, Martinez had a similar role with the Padres that saw him get used in both the rotation and bullpen. He has been filling in as a starter for his past two games while Frankie Montas has been on the injured list. Montas could return as soon as next week.

In four starts for the Reds, Martinez is 0-2 with a 6.86 ERA.

"A lot of different kind of weird plays, but he did his job," Reds manager David Bell said. "I know he wants to limit the runs, but he can’t do much about it. He was making pitches. If he keeps pitching like that, which we know he will, he’s going to have a lot of success for us.”

The Reds got back into the game against the Padres bullpen. With one out in the top of the sixth inning, India hit a two-run single. Jeimer Candelario and Stuart Fairchild each hit solo homers in the seventh inning. Fairchild snapped an 0-for-18 skid.

Bell ejected for first time in 2024
Bell was ejected after the bottom of the seventh inning by home-plate umpire Cory Blaser for arguing balls and strikes. Following the ejection, Bell took his frustrations out by kicking some equipment lying on the on-deck circle in front of the visitors' dugout.

“That was awesome," Martinez said.

It was Bell’s 28th career ejection but first of 2024.