Nick Martinez leads way as Rays look more like themselves, beat Orioles

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Aug 23, 2026

Published in Baseball

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BALTIMORE — Nick Martinez has been encouraging his Rays teammates to keep their energy up, their anxiety down and their focus on playing as they have been, assuring them they’ll get through their latest skid and back to their winning form.

Sunday afternoon, the veteran right-hander took the mound and showed them the way, tossing six sterling innings in a 3-1 win over the Orioles that the Rays hope, after losing seven of their last nine, is the start of something.

At the least, they halted a three-game skid, improved their American League-leading record to 77-53 and maintained a three-game East division lead over the Yankees, who played Toronto on Sunday.

Martinez held the O’s — who had beaten up the Rays in topping them five times in six games over the last two weekends — to one baserunner (allowing a third-inning double to Colton Cowser) in getting the other 18 batters he faced out.

Relievers Cam Booser, Kevin Kelly and Bryan Baker took it from there, though Baker did allow a leadoff homer to Cowser while a Junior Caminero throwing error put another runner in scoring position. Baker converted his 26th consecutive save and MLB-leading 37th overall.

The Rays got their runs from a two-out rally in the sixth off former teammate Shane Baz.

Yandy Diaz, as he has done so many times, got them started with a single, then went to third on a single by Jonathan Aranda. That mattered because Baz, while facing Caminero, bounced a pitch, allowing Diaz to race home.

Caminero followed with a single that scored Aranda and, after Liam Hicks walked to load the bases, Chandler Simpson greeted lefty reliever Grant Wolfram with a single to increase the lead to 3-0.

The Rays also flashed some of their typically dazzling defense, with right fielder Jonny DeLuca making a pair of highlight-worthy catches.

The Rays left after the game for Detroit, where they open a three-game series against the Tigers on Monday night.