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.
They decided to take advantage of it, with a decision that might surprise some people: Rather than rolling with ace Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay will send veteran leader Nick Martinez to the mound in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night at American Family Field.
Martinez will get the start opposite Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, allowing the Rays to give Rasmussen an extra day of rest -- which manager Kevin Cash said the club prioritized -- and push back fellow former Brewer Freddy Peralta to start Game 3 at Tropicana Field on Monday.
“It’s really nice having that guy and having the ability to say, ‘Hey, man, we’re going with him,’” Rasmussen said Thursday afternoon. “That puts my mind at ease, for sure. … We’re confident he’s going to get us off in the right direction.”
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 flame-throwing 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.
“When Nick pitches, we win,” Cash said. “Excited to hand Nick the ball in Game 1, and we'll go from there.”
Martinez 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 in 15 starts at The Trop.
So, Martinez threw a bullpen session on Wednesday to prepare and got the news before the team’s workout on Thursday. At 36 years and 79 days old, Martinez will be the oldest pitcher to make his World Series debut by starting Game 1 since 2004, when Boston's Tim Wakefield (38 years, 82 days) and St. Louis' Woody Williams (38 years, 65 days) did so opposite each other.
“It's exciting. I think as a team, as a staff, we're confident in whoever we call up for the mound,” Martinez said. “It fell on me, and my job is just to rack up as many outs as we can and keep us in this ballgame.”
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.
“I know going in that they're a pretty relentless lineup. They don't take any pitches off,” Martinez said. “They fight for every pitch. It's going to be an absolute dogfight.”
Pushing back Rasmussen will allow him to pitch on five days’ rest and, most likely, work deeper into the game than if he was pitching a day earlier. 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.
“Our staff does a really good job of taking care of me. I never question anything they’re trying to do when it comes to my health,” Rasmussen said. “They’re doing everything every single day to make sure that I have the best possibility to make every start. … I appreciate them looking out for my health.”
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.
This alignment allows the Rays to make Peralta and fellow starter Griffin Jax available out of the bullpen during the first two games. It also affords Peralta two more days of rest after he made two starts and a relief appearance en route to ALCS MVP honors.
“I thought he threw a really good ballgame in Game 6, but I did think toward the end of that game, [while] the velocities and stuff remained the same, the command took a little bit of a dip,” Cash said.