Nick Martinez

Jesus Luzardo, who just went on the IL and may or may not make it back for the postseason, we don't know.

Nick Martinez, who we saw the other day.

He's another version of what Martin Perez is, right? Low strikeouts, high cont- um, contact management kind of guy.

Drew Rasmussen, Chase Burns, Christopher Sanchez, Sonny Gray, also a free agent this winter, probably.

Let's, uh, take it out to Tampa where the Rays went four to three over the Athletics.

Shukri, 15th win for Nick Martinez.

Yeah.

I know that might n- not sound like much, like, 10 years ago, but to have 15 wins as a starter-

Mm-hmm

... and you're Nick Martinez, [laughs] no offense to him.

It's a huge deal.

That's a big deal-

They're one win closer to clinching that AL East title.

In this one, we're gonna talk about how the bullpen got some big time outs, how Nick Martinez was solid as ever once again, how the offense did just enough in the first few innings.

Couldn't add on, which was a little bit frustrating later on in the game, but they did just enough.

But first, we gotta talk about how the Rays pull another win closer to their ultimate goal.

A lot of guys, especially in that bullpen, going on the IL at the wrong time.

But, uh, we still have a lot more to talk, to talk about.

We haven't even talked about Nick Martinez and how he picked up his 15th win, win.

Imagine saying in the off-season that Nick Martinez was gonna have 15 wins for the Rays this year.

And it was a game, Kevin, where if you wanted a lot of offense, you got that in the first couple innings, and then the Rays kind of quieted down.

They scored two in the first, they scored two in the second, and that was all they would need, essentially, because Nick Martinez and the bullpen did their job.

They did.

And, uh, it's just funny how baseball works sometimes, where on Sunday, the Rays win 14 to four.

Cole Sulser earns the save, so somebody else stepping up for the good guys.

And sometimes that's just the way it rolls.

Luckily, you have Nick Martinez starting that game, and if there's something we know about Nick Martinez, if he's going to give up a home run, usually it's gonna be of the solo variety because he does not allow a lot of base runners.

So that's where you can hang your hat on Nick Martinez.

We're text buddies.

He goes, I'm watching Rays Rangers tonight, and regarding Nick Martinez's weird leg motions before the windup, When does something like that get called a balk? It's because it's before he actually pulls his arms back for the windup.

It almost seems like a nearly singular motion.

I also don't really know what I'm talking about, so any answer would be helpful from you baseball knowers.

With love, Zach in Denver.

It does short-circuit a lot of people watching Nick Martinez's new wind-up because he never did this when he was a member of the Rangers.

In fact, if you play the audio, this is when he was a member of the Cincinnati Reds, and he talked about finding this and implementing it during a game.

Your wind-up motion.

How many different pitchers are used.

And how, I mean, even look at Nick Martinez tonight.

For the Rays.

He's having a hell of a year.

Hogan Ayers, pair of outs out of the bullpen squirrels.

And then Nick Martinez, he gives up two runs and five innings.

Both were via solo home run as it was home run number three of the campaign for Tommy White, and then Henry Voltae is 11th.

Kevin Kelly from there, one run allowed and two innings.

He goes, I'm watching Ray's Rangers tonight.

And regarding Nick Martinez's weird leg motions before the windup, when does something like that get called a balk? It's because it's before he actually pulls his arms back for the windup.

It almost seems like a nearly singular motion.

I also don't really know what I'm talking about, so any answer would be helpful from you baseball knowers with love.

Zach in Denver.

And...

It does short-circuit a lot of people watching Nick Martinez's new wind-up because he never did this when he was a member of the Rangers.

In fact, if you play the audio, this is when he was a member of the Cincinnati Reds, and he talked about finding this and implementing it during a game.