Make New York Post a Preferred Source Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez throws in the fourth inning during the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, in New York. AP Photo/Adam Hunger The Yankees will look to keep their season alive on Wednesday when they host the Rays in Game 3 of the ALDS.
Tampa Bay owns a 2-0 series lead after taking the first two games, leaving the Bombers with no margin for error as the best-of-five matchup shifts to The Bronx.
The Rays will hand the ball to veteran right-hander Nick Martinez, who enters the elimination game having already carried the heaviest workload of his career.
Martinez, who is making his 2026 playoff debut, tossed 180 innings during the regular season, a career high that even surpassed anything he logged during his four seasons pitching in Japan.
And there were signs late in the year that the Rays were beginning to manage that workload a bit more carefully.
The 35-year-old topped 90 pitches just once after mid-August and threw fewer than 75 pitches in three of his final four regular-season starts.
He also stumbled somewhat down the stretch, making it unlikely the Rays would give him an especially long leash in a potential series-deciding postseason game.
The Rays should also have little reason to push him if he runs into trouble or looks shaky early on.
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Nick Martinez throws a pitch during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Their bullpen entered the series well-rested after a first-round bye, then benefited from Drew Rasmussen working eight innings in Game 1 and Tampa Bay leaning on a piggyback approach that covered 7 ⅔ frames in Game 2.
Only two traditional bullpen arms, Bryan Baker and Cam Booser, have seen time on the mound.
That should leave manager Kevin Cash with plenty of fresh options if Martinez can’t slow down the Yankees’ lineup or can’t keep his pitch count down.
The play: Nick Martinez under 12.5 outs recorded (-175, DraftKings Sportsbook)
Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
