MILWAUKEE -- The Rays had a couple different options to consider as they lined up their rotation for the World Series. They’re not quite as well-rested as the Brewers, but finishing the American League Championship Series in six games gave them some flexibility.
So, rather than rolling out ace Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay will send its veteran leader to the mound in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night at American Family Field. Nick Martinez will get the start opposite Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, which allows the Rays to give Rasmussen an extra day of rest for his Game 2 start. Former Brewer Freddy Peralta would be in line to start Game 3 at Tropicana Field on Monday.
Martinez will join Scott Kazmir (2008) and Tyler Glasnow (2020) as the only World Series Game 1 starters in franchise history. As tough as the matchup may be against the National League champions and the flamethrowing Misiorowski, the Rays have every reason to feel good about their chances with the 36-year-old Martinez on the mound.
For one, the team has put together a 24-9 record in Martinez’s starts. He was one of the most effective starters in the American League during the regular season, producing a 3.10 ERA in 180 innings over 31 starts as he earned the first All-Star nod of a big league career that began in 2014.
And he’s been just as reliable in his postseason starts, permitting only three runs on seven hits and three walks over nine innings against the Yankees (ALDS Game 3) and Guardians (ALCS Game 4).
Plus, Martinez has been at his best on the road this year. Both of his postseason outings came away from Tropicana Field, and he produced a 2.38 ERA in 16 road starts during the regular season compared to a 3.90 mark at The Trop.
After a bizarre Spring Training when he struggled to get outs, Martinez made his Rays debut at American Family Field on March 30 and held the Brewers to two runs over six innings in Tampa Bay’s 3-2 victory, the club’s lone win in that three-game set.
Pushing back Rasmussen will allow him to pitch on five days’ rest. Twenty-three of his regular-season starts came after more than four days of rest, and the same has been true for each of his three postseason outings thanks to the postponement of Game 4 in Cleveland.
Meanwhile, Peralta has been at his best in the controlled environment of Tropicana Field. The right-hander’s stuff would presumably play just as well under a closed roof in Milwaukee, but it’s hard to ignore the 1.45 ERA he’s put together in seven starts at The Trop since joining Tampa Bay at the Trade Deadline.