Nick Martinez gave the Rays exactly what they needed at exactly the right time.
With Tampa Bay staring at a sweep in Baltimore and trying to stop a slide that had already cost them three straight series, Martinez turned in the kind of outing the club has leaned on all season: six innings, no walks, one hit allowed and, most importantly, zero runs. After a rough showing last time out at home against Toronto, he bounced right back and settled the game from the start.
That was the difference for a Rays team that has been chasing too many games lately. Martinez kept Baltimore from ever building an early lead, then came back out after Tampa Bay finally scored and delivered another clean shutdown frame in the sixth.
The Rays needed length, they needed stability and they needed someone to give the bullpen some breathing room. Martinez checked every box.
The offense finally gave him support in the sixth, and the big names came through in sequence. With two outs, Yandy Diaz started it with a sharp opposite-field single.
Junior Caminero followed with a grounder that found space and moved Diaz to third. A wild pitch then let Diaz score for the game’s first run.
Caminero stayed involved moments later, scoring when Aranda lined a base hit up the middle. Liam Hicks worked a walk, Chandler Simpson drove in the third run, and Caminero came home on a smooth slide that fit the moment.
The Rays also got the kind of defense that can swing a close game. Johnny DeLuca was all over the outfield, starting with a spectacular route and leaping catch at the wall to save a run early.
He wasn’t done there, either, later adding a diving catch that wiped out another hit. In a game with so few offensive chances, those plays loomed large.
Baltimore kept pressing late and brought the tying run to the plate three times in the ninth, but Bryan Baker finished it off and recorded his MLB-best 37th save. The Rays walked away with a 3-1 win built on pitching, timely hits and a standout day in the field.
In Other News...
Rays May Already Be Moving On From A Recent Bullpen Addition
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Roycroft now goes on outright waivers, and with the trade deadline already gone, Tampa Bay no longer has the option of moving him elsewhere. For a team that churns through relief arms as often as the Rays do, the decision is another reminder of how quickly a recent bullpen addition can move from depth piece to roster casualty when a healthier arm is ready to return. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away In Painful Fashion
The Rays had a chance to turn a tense, low-scoring game into a needed road win at Camden Yards, but the night slipped away in the kind of sequence that can linger. Tampa Bay fell 3-2 to the Orioles in walk-off fashion, a game that felt very much there for the taking before the pressure tightened in extras.
Taylor Walls tried to put the Rays in front in the 10th with a bunt play, but Baltimore handled it cleanly and cut down Richie Palacios at the plate for a huge out. The Orioles then finished the job with a pinch-hit double from Dylan Beavers, leaving Tampa Bay to wonder about another winnable one that got away. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Deadline Addition Is Already Creating An October Rotation Problem
The Rays went into the deadline looking for help that could hold up over the seasons final stretch, and several of their new additions have already fit that bill. Liam Hicks and Tyler Wells have both given Tampa Bay useful production in their own ways, which is exactly what the club needed while trying to sharpen the roster for a playoff push.
Freddy Peralta, though, has complicated the picture on the mound. He has not matched the standard the Rays want from a postseason starter, with a high ERA and uneven outings leaving him behind other arms on the depth chart. That creates an October decision the Rays may not have expected this soon, especially if they continue sorting out which pitchers give them the best chance to navigate a short series. [Read more 🡒]