NEW YORK -- Nick Martinez gave the Rays exactly what they needed in the opening game of Tuesday’s doubleheader. The rest of the lineup didn’t, and Tampa Bay will have to wait at least one more game to lock up the American League East.
The Rays still need only one win in this four-game, three-day set in the Bronx to clinch their first division title since 2021, but they came up short in the makeup game from May 23. Martinez kept them in it, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out seven over six innings.
He was perfect through three, retiring the first nine Yankees he faced before Ben Rice opened the fourth with a double and Cody Bellinger followed with a two-run homer on the very next pitch. Both extra-base hits came on sinkers that caught too much of the plate to two left-handed hitters who made him pay.
“Those guys are two guys that are for sure going to capitalize,” Martinez said. “So, two pitches I wish I could take back or better execute to get a better read on the rest of the at-bat. I just felt like it wasn't executed.”
Even with those two mistakes, Martinez’s afternoon was strong. It was his career-high 30th start, his 18th time going at least six innings, and his 16th quality start. The seven strikeouts were a season best, and he generated 10 whiffs from Yankees hitters.
“Two pitches that leaked back over the plate, and they were back-to-back pitches,” manager Kevin Cash said. “But Nick did everything else really, really incredibly well as usual.”
The problem for Tampa Bay was Carlos Rodón was even better. The Yankees left-hander struck out eight across eight sharp innings and shut down the Rays completely, keeping New York’s slim AL East hopes alive.
Tampa Bay never pushed a runner to second base against Rodón. The club’s only three hits were singles, and two of them disappeared on double plays, including one Victor Mesa Jr. ran into in the sixth inning.
“He was really good,” Rays catcher Liam Hicks said of Rodón. “He was in the strike zone the whole time, so he did a really good job of just getting ahead and continuing to get ahead and then expanding when he got to two strikes.
It was tough. He's a good pitcher.”
The Rays still entered the nightcap feeling good about their chances, with Drew Rasmussen set to take the mound in their new “Tampa Bay” road gray jerseys. Tampa Bay cut Rasmussen’s last outing to five innings and 76 pitches, expecting him to be ready to stretch out Tuesday night after four days of rest.
The All-Star right-hander has also been on a roll, with the Rays winning each of his last 11 starts since the All-Star break.
“He's just going to go out and have a normal start,” Cash said. “And if he does what he normally does, we're going to be in a really good spot.”
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