The Tampa Bay Rays got an extra day to sort out Game 4 of the ALCS after Friday’s rainout, and Kevin Cash answered the biggest question the obvious way: Nick Martinez is still the guy.
Cash confirmed, "Martinez will start tomorrow. And then we'll just go day-to-day from there."
Given where this series stands, that call matters. The Rays are down 2-1 to the Cleveland Guardians, and Cash had to decide whether to stay with the original plan or bump Drew Rasmussen up a day. Instead, Tampa Bay is keeping Martinez in line for Saturday and preserving the rest of the rotation behind him.
That makes sense when you look at what Martinez has done all season. The 36-year-old right-hander has been one of the Rays’ steadiest arms, and he’s already handled Cleveland well twice in the regular season.
In those two starts, he worked 13 scoreless innings and gave up only seven hits. One of those outings came at Progressive Field in April, when he tossed seven shutout innings.
His track record wasn’t just about one matchup either. Martinez closed the regular season with a 2.38 ERA on the road, which ranked fourth in the American League. Tampa Bay went 23-9 in his starts, another sign of how reliable he was every time he took the ball.
That steadiness is especially valuable now. The Rays have had trouble generating offense in the postseason, so a starter who can keep the game tight carries more weight than usual.
There’s also a bigger rotation angle here. Keeping Martinez in place allows Rasmussen to stay lined up for Game 5 on Sunday, with Freddy Peralta potentially ready for Game 6 at Tropicana Field. The added rest could matter for Rasmussen if this series stretches all the way out, especially with the possibility of four straight games.
Cash’s decision also comes after a mixed call earlier in the series. He went with Griffin Jax in Game 3 instead of Martinez, and that move didn’t pay off. Even so, shifting the rotation again would not have guaranteed a better result.
Martinez has already shown he’ll do what the Rays need from him. Earlier in the series, he stayed available out of the bullpen even though he was lined up to start Game 4. That kind of flexibility is part of why Tampa Bay is leaning on him now.
With the season hanging in the balance, the Rays are betting that their best option is the one they already had in place.
In Other News...
Rays Fans Are Stuck Waiting On A Crucial ALCS Game 4
Rain has pushed back Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field, turning what was supposed to be an 8:08 p.m. ET start into a waiting game for the Rays and Guardians. MLB Communications and Cleveland both announced the delay and said updates would follow, leaving Tampa Bay fans to sit tight on a night that already carried plenty of weight with the series leaning Clevelands way, 2-1.
The pitching setup adds another layer to the pause, with Nick Martinez lined up for the Rays and Shawn Armstrong slated to open for Cleveland in what has the feel of a bullpen game. For Tampa Bay, the delay only heightens the tension around a matchup that could swing the series, and the hold-up keeps everyone guessing about when the next crucial inning will finally begin. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Need Junior Caminero To Snap Out Of This Fast
Junior Camineros bat has gone quiet at the worst possible time for Tampa Bay, and his Game 3 line in the ALCS only added to the concern. The young infielder went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts as the Rays dropped another chance to gain control of the series, leaving a lineup that has not produced nearly enough against Cleveland.
The frustration is not limited to one spot in the order, either. Yandy Daz and Jonathan Aranda have also been searching for answers at the plate, which has pushed Tampa Bay toward the bottom of the lineup for any reliable offense while it trails 2-1 in the series. The Rays still have time to turn things around, but they need a faster offensive response from the names they count on most. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Let A Winnable ALCS Game Slip Away At Worst Time
Tampa Bay had its chances early and even seemed to have a foothold in a game it needed to bank, getting on the board and briefly grabbing the lead on Chandler Simpsons triple. For a stretch, it looked like the Rays might turn a tense ALCS night into one they could control, especially with their offense creating traffic against Cleveland and putting pressure on the Guardians from the start.
Instead, Cleveland kept making the right pitches and plays when it mattered, and the game flipped in the middle innings before the Rays could respond. The loss left Tampa Bay with a 2-1 series deficit, a particularly painful outcome after letting a winnable game slip away at the worst possible time in the series. [Read more 🡒]