The Tampa Bay Rays just dropped a bombshell for Game 1 of the World Series, and honestly, it is a head-scratcher. Manager Kevin Cash is rolling with Nick Martinez on the mound, pushing aside Drew Rasmussen, the team’s ace who absolutely dominated the American League with a minuscule 0.91 WHIP during the regular season. You read that right, the guy who led the *entire* AL in WHIP is sitting Game 1. Wild.
The Ace Gets the Bench: What is Cash Thinking?
It is a peculiar decision for sure. Rasmussen was lights out all year, leading the league in a stat that screams consistency. Meanwhile, Nick Martinez did have a stellar outing in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series, where he held the Cleveland Guardians to just one run and two hits over 5.1 innings. That is a great performance, no doubt, but is it enough to leapfrog your undeniable ace in the biggest game of the year? Cash’s reasoning, however, had less to do with rewarding Martinez and more about protecting Rasmussen. Cash admitted, “Rasmussen has had a pretty thick workload here. We’ve relied on him heavily. We know when he takes the ball, we’re trying to get the full-pitch allotment out of him.” So, it sounds like they are trying to manage their best arm for the long haul of the series, which, okay, makes sense if you trust your depth. But still, Game 1 of the World Series!
Martinez Steps Up to the Plate (Literally)
This will be Martinez’s third career postseason start, and he is 36 years old. Talk about high stakes for one of the biggest games of his life. He is not just pitching in the World Series, he is doing it against Jacob Misiorowski, a legitimate Cy Young favorite. That is a tall order. But Martinez is keeping it cool, saying, “It’s exciting. I think as a team, as a staff, we’re confident in whoever we call up to the mound. It fell on me, and my job is just to rack up as many outs as we can and keep us in this ballgame.” That is the right mindset, for sure. You gotta block out the noise and just get outs when the bright lights are on.
Game 1 of the World Series kicks off tonight at 8 p.m. in Milwaukee. All eyes are on Martinez and whether Cash’s bold strategy pays off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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