January 1, Rays Pitcher Set to Shut Down Yankees Season

Wyatt’s Take

• Nick Martinez brings a red-hot arm and proven record against New York into a must-win game for the Yankees.
• Sloppy New York defense and Tampa Bay pitching have already put the Yankees in a two-game hole.
• American League playoffs show once again that momentum and grit beat preseason hype.

The Tampa Bay Rays hold a 2-0 lead over the New York Yankees in their American League series, and tonight they send Nick Martinez to the mound to try to close the door on the season.

Martinez finished the regular season 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP, numbers that rank among the best in the league. His road ERA drops to a stingy 2.38, and in three starts against the Yankees this year he allowed just four earned runs over 16 and two-thirds innings.

The Yankees return home for the next two games with their backs against the wall. They have been strong at Yankee Stadium this season, sitting 12 games over .500 there, yet their reliance on home runs has been exposed against Tampa Bay pitching.

New York will counter with left-hander Max Fried, who allowed only one run in six innings in his first postseason start. However, Fried has struggled against the Rays this season, giving up seven earned runs in 14 and two-thirds innings across two starts.

The Rays have shown they can beat the Yankees in different ways, winning once behind dominant pitching and once by capitalizing on sloppy New York defense. That combination has left the Yankees facing elimination with little margin for error.

I love looking back at how expectations and years start, and then where they end up. There are four teams remaining in the American League right now, and I’d argue two of them were expected and the other two have defied the odds.

I’m not really sure why the Rays should be faded here.

They have a pitcher that can likely stack up with Fried. Outside of this strong start against the Red Sox, Fried has also not been very good in the postseason.

Wyatt Matters

Heartland fans know that hard work and steady pitching still matter more than big-market payrolls when October baseball gets real.