CLEVELAND -- With three types of fastballs (four-seamer, cutter and sinker) and a devastating changeup, Nick Martinez has used his vast arsenal to pitch his way to success all season. So the Rays were confident in the 36-year-old right-hander to try to help tie up the American League Championship Series.
Saturday night at Progressive Field showed why.
Martinez tossed 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the Rays' 7-3 win over the Guardians in Game 4 of the ALCS, settling in impressively well after a bumpy start to his outing. The righty allowed only two hits -- both coming within the first three batters, as Steven Kwan opened the bottom of the first with a single and scored on a one-out single by Chase DeLauter, who was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
After DeLauter’s knock, Martinez proceeded to retire the next 11 Cleveland batters in order before issuing a one-out walk to Travis Bazzana in the fifth. But Martinez didn’t let the Guards rally, as he got Patrick Bailey to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Martinez came back out for the sixth, issuing a leadoff walk to Petey Halpin. He got Brayan Rocchio to fly out to left field, then departed after throwing 79 pitches (53 strikes).
Because of Friday’s postponement, Tampa Bay could have sent right-hander Drew Rasmussen to the mound on Saturday on four days of rest. But manager Kevin Cash believed in Martinez’s ability to deliver a strong outing, which would allow the Rays to save Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta for Game 5 and a potential Game 6, respectively.
Martinez, a nine-year MLB veteran, was a first-time All-Star this season, recording a 3.10 ERA in 180 innings over 31 regular-season starts. He also allowed two runs in 3 2/3 innings in Game 3 of the AL Division Series, which the Rays won to complete a sweep of the Yankees.
“The guys definitely like playing behind Nick,” Cash said before Saturday’s game. “There's a quickness to how he goes about it. He works very fast. It's a lot of contact. He doesn't get there via deep counts and strikeouts. It's soft contact that he tries to induce in the first two, three pitches of the at-bat. And any time you've got what you consider your leader out on the mound, you want to do everything that day to help him get a ‘W.’”
Peralta, who tossed a gem in Tampa Bay’s Game 2 win and remains the front-runner to start a potential Game 6, entered in relief upon Martinez’s exit. The 30-year-old righty was available out of the bullpen, as Saturday was his scheduled day to throw in between starts.
Although Peralta issued a two-out walk to José Ramírez in the sixth, he got DeLauter to fly out to center field to preserve Martinez’s line, as well as the Rays’ 2-1 lead at the time.