Will Nick Martinez emerge as ‘the stopper?’

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – It certainly helps to have a few bangers in the lineup. Then again, this is more about role-playing and a time to be recognized.

With the Tampa Bay Rays falling from grace, coming off a forgettable three-game demised to Baltimore and a collective four-game losing streak, manager Kevin Cash called upon Nick Martinez to stop the bleeding and the veteran right-hander delivered.

This made little difference that Martinez was trailing 2-1 in the seventh but that’s when his lumber company went to work. Powered by two home runs from Yandy Diaz, a solo shot from Jonathan Arnada and a two-run triple from Richie Palacios, the Rays wiped tears from that four-game losing streak and powered their way to an 8-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before 18,506 in Tropicana Field on May 29.

The win was triggered by a 7-run seventh inning and enabled the Rays to reach 35 wins (35-19) for the season. That tied the 2019 and 2021 clubs for the second most wins in franchise history before the end of May.

More importantly, the win characterized Martinez’s early season dominance as a significant contributor to major league baseball’s most surprising team. What made this win important was the meaning of the hour and the ability to step forward from the lethargy of a recent four-game skid.

“I always feel a sense of urgency,” Martinez said after raising his season mark to 5-1 and a 1.62 ERA. “I try and pitch that way and try to keep the guys up. Coming off the skid, no one wanted to lose the fifth. I felt if I could keep it close, it was a matter of time before the bats broke lose.”

Against the Angels on May 29, Martinez turned in his third straight quality start and seven of his 11 starts in 2026 have been labeled as “quality.”

For Tampa Bay, Martinez has become “a feel good” story and his renaissance is a principal reason why this team continues to surge. Signing as a free agent this past off-season, the 36-year-old compiled a 52-60 record over 290 starts and a 4.00 ERA. That was prior to his arrival in central Florida.

Compare that to the stunning turnover and his ability to carry a team is evident.

“(Martinez) navigated through (the Angles) lineup well and kept us in the ball game,” said Cash, the Tampa Bay manager. “He gave us another big opportunity to win a game. He’s been doing that all season.”

Cause for separation … Relative to standings in the major leagues, there is a rather unique dimension at play. Coming into games on May 29, two months into the season, not one team in the AL West is playing above .500 baseball. The Seattle Mariners, at 28-29, held a one-game lead over the Athletics in the division.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, at 13 games under .500 (22-35 on May 28) are six behind the leading-leading M’s and sport the second worst run differential in the majors.

Coming into a weekend series May 29-31 with Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field, the Angels were last in the American League in team batting (.228; just below Cleveland at .230) and next-to-last in AL team ERA (4.74) to Houston (at 5.05).

Still, this is not a deterrent to the spark and clubhouse environment which first-year manager Kurt Suzuki built. Identifying the culture under Suzuki as “awesome,” shortstop Zach Neto cited factors the Angels need to adopt and maintain.

“We’re just trying to take it one-game at a time,” said Neto, who second in franchise history with 58 home runs for a shortstop and just behind Jim Fregosi (111). “It’s our division and we’re trying to make a name for ourselves. We’re starting to hit with runners in scoring position and starting to bring in those runs. I don’t think we’re stealing enough bags and moving guys over when we need to do that. Right now, we’re playing just a good brand of baseball.”

Over a 39-game period, from May 29 to the All-Star break, the Angels have 39 games (not counting rainouts) and 16 within West division opponents.

“We try not to worry with other clubs are doing,” Suzuki said before the Rays’ series. “We come to the park ready to work every day and worry about our strengths. Once you start worrying about what other teams are doing, that’s when you put yourself in a bad spot. We just need to worry about what we are doing.”

The current Tampa Bay home stand … In the middle game of the Angels set on May 30, it’s righty Drew Rassmussen (4-1, 2.78) for the Rays and opposes lefty Reid Detmers (1-5, 4.57). In his prior start on May 24 against the Texas Rangers, Detmers set a career high with 14 strikeouts and walked away with a no-decision. In the series finale, look for lefty Shane McClanahan (5-2, 2.52) to face righty Jack Kochanowicz (2-3, 4.99). Then, Detroit visits for three against the Rays while the Angles head home to the Big Sombrero for three against the Colorado Rockies.

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